FLOWERPOT News

Chloe Tyler, an American artist and graphic designer, uses a sweet treat as a medium for teaching children ages 7-14 about the styles of 16 visual artists. In the ebullient and colorful pages of “Cultured Donuts: Take a Bite Out of Art History,” Ms. Tyler uses the style and signature palette of each artist to create a big glazed donut with pink frosting and sprinkles to show how the same object may be imagined in different ways. Thus we see a Rembrandt Donut rendered in cross-hatchings of dark ink, a Dalí Donut that arches and melts in a surreal landscape, and a Pollock Donut evoked with wild spatterings of pink on a background of splashed black. Alongside these speculative baked goods, Ms. Tyler explains a bit about each artist’s life, technique and aesthetic. (She includes herself as artist No. 17; we see her amid album covers and donut pictures.) It’s a fun idea and a fun book with lots of tips, information and encouragement for young aspirants.