Swiss artist Dieter Roth is known for his use of food as an artistic medium. Herd (Stove), 1969, in Glenstone’s collection, consists of dried mounds of melted chocolate oozing out of a previously functioning wood burning stove. Over time, the melted chocolate became hardened, and tiny holes—evidence of burrowing insects—remain visible on its surface. The artist embraced this decay, accepting these changes as part of the work. While a preoccupation with entropy is one of the cornerstones of Roth’s work, for a conservator it makes things even more intriguing: if an infestation were to occur, any resulting markings from either the infestation or its eradication would, according to the artist, become part of the official work.

–Steven O'Banion, from the Glenstone Field Guide