Bittersweet Composition by Carlo Marcucci

Carlo Marcucci

Bittersweet Composition, 2024

Acrylic and digital ink printed on canvas

40 x 48 x 2 in (101.6 x 121.92 x 5.08 cm)

Signature: Signature appears in the back

A digital collage and mixed media still-life composition portraying contaminated dark chocolate bars and one cocoa powder, purchased at local grocery stores: Trader Joe's 85% Dark Chocolate Lover's Chocolate, Theo Organic 70% Pure Dark Cocoa, Lindt Excellence 85% Dark Chocolate, Chocolove 88% Extreme Dark Chocolate bar (depicted without the wrapper), Alter Eco Organic 85% Dark Chocolate Classic Blackout and Starbucks Hot Cocoa Classic powder. All these were paired with lead and cadmium symbols.

Lead and cadmium contamination are commonly found in almost all chocolate samples (organic and non-organic). Trader Joe's levels were 127% above the MADL limits for lead and 229% above the MADL limits for cadmium, Theo Organic had 120% above the MADL limits for lead and 142% for cadmium, Lindt Excellence had 166% above MADL limits for lead and 80% for cadmium, Chocolove was 240% above the limits for lead and 83% for cadmium, Alter Eco was 204% above limits for cadmium and Starbucks cocoa powder was 159% above for lead.

The reason seems because cacao plants (like many other vegetables, plants and herbs) tend to absorb cadmium from contaminated surrounding soil, Lead contamination seems to happen after the beans are harvested. maybe because exposed to lead-filled dust and dirt in the environment.

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16 x 16 x 1.5 in (40.64 x 40.64 x 3.81 cm)
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18 x 18 x 2 in (45.72 x 45.72 x 5.08 cm)