do i look at it or do i eat it?

compared to normal weeks, during this past one, i've been inundated with food sculptures. actually it was only about three encounters, but i mean really, how often in your everyday life do you encounter food sculptures?? i think with this, three qualifies as overwhelmed.
so.
i was watching old episodes of west wing, the episodes where CJ is completely enthralled with the butter sculptures, which to my delight, are real. there is a sculpture of the Last Supper with the Christ made out of butter and (if you watched the episode, you already know this) the butter on the table is, of course, made out of butter.

and!! i'm so excited because i also discovered there is a butter darth vader (i know i'm showing how completely a geek i am with this...)

well. a couple of days after all this excitement, i went to a wedding which had an ice sculpture (sorry, i did not take my camera so there is no picture). and then as i was surfing other blogs, i came across watermelon sculptures.

in honor of the terribly hot and humid summer that is going on:

and really, nothing says true love like watermelons...hee...so andrew, my dearest, this is for you!!

after all this, i just got to wondering, is food sculpture really all that prevelent in society? i just don't see it this often, but maybe i've been going to the wrong parties? i generally think i've succeeded if the food i've cooked isn't poisonous; i'm not normally going for fine artistic value, you know? but maybe you are aiming higher than me. if so, amazon.com would love to sell you 'entertaining edibles: 50 fun food sculptures for all occations' by sidney escowitz. all occations?? so suddenly i'm wondering, would my life be quantifiably better if i incorporated food sculptures into my tuesday evenings? no, honestly, i think i'd just get beaten up more often.

however, even if i never attain such grandeur myself, google did teach me all about other food sculptures. there are apparently many contests all across the globe for various types of food sculptures, none of which i will ever win but that is quite alright. here is a cheese and dried tomato sculpture of the nina, pinta, and santa maria. i'm not sure if columbus would be proud or not.