So here’s the thing – even though this candy business has been in my family for almost 100 years, I actually studied art history before joining up.
I even worked for the National Endowment for the Arts after graduating from college in the early 1990's and met the artist!
I know, I know – as my father often pondered my choice of study, arts appreciation probably isn’t the most obvious background for running a wholesale candy company. But, and perhaps somewhat ironically, it has served me well!
It helped me design CandyFavorites.com and, later, gave me the skills - and access to the candy - to help collectors and museums across the country figure out how to coordinate candy for Felix Gonzalez-Torres exhibitions.
You might be wondering – who is Felix Gonzalez-Torres and what does he have to do with candy?
Felix Gonzalez-Torres (1957–1996) was a Cuban-American artist whose art explored themes of love, loss, identity, and memory.
People often associate him with conceptual art and minimalism, but his work is fluid and goes way beyond those labels. He blends emotional depth with social commentary, often using candy as a metaphor.
Many of his pieces feature candies in various colors, shapes, and sizes, including caramels, hard candies, and taffy!
Having produced dozens in this medium, each installation is unique in what it represents, how it’s displayed, and, yes, how much candy is consumed.
Here’s where it gets interesting...
Over the years, almost all of the original candy manufacturers have gone out of business or discontinued the candies used in the original installations, making it almost impossible to source the original medium used when the pieces were conceived.
Also, many of the remaining candy manufacturers have been purchased by private equity, which has led to communication issues, sourcing problems, and often not getting the product and quantities requested!
Who would have thought that buying candy would be so challenging...
This has caused undue frustration for those trying to coordinate exhibits within rigid curatorial parameters.
TWIST WRAPPED CANDY OPTIONS
PILLOW PACK CANDY OPTIONS
To see a LIST of candy options for pillow-packed candies, please click HERE
Since this art is all about concepts and I’ve got an art history background, we have been able to source substitutions that are as good as – or even better than – the originals, many of which look almost identical and even use the same mylar wrappers that were on the original candies!
We’ve worked with curators, collectors, foundations, and museums all around the world, helping to answer questions and handle all logistics, the latter being almost, if not more, important than choosing the candy!
That’s where we come in....
This customer-centric service will assign a representative to help you coordinate every aspect of procurement, including delivery and restocking, if needed.
For more information and FAQS about ordering candy for Felix Gonzalez-Torres Installations, please click HERE.
If you’re reading this and looking to build one of his pieces, please reach out to jhp@candyfavorites.com to help source your candy and keep the tradition of his work alive.
Written by Jon H.Prince, President of CandyFavorites.com
