A creative receipt artist has captured the attention of social media by assembling a complete A to Z list of items from a supermarket receipt.
Graeme Bowman, 43, took on the challenge of sourcing 26 items, each corresponding to a letter of the alphabet, at his local ASDA in Leyton.
His impressive receipt artwork has also amazed Reddit users, featuring critiques of Donald Trump and even a Christmas tree made from his purchases
The concept for this project first struck Graeme over a decade ago in 2012, but it wasn't until now that he figured out what to buy for the tricky letters X and Z.
At the start of April, Graeme, hailing from Walthamstow, spent nearly two hours at the store, beginning with Apples for A and Bananas for B.
He had to think outside the box, opting for an extension cord for E, as 'Eggs' were the only option available.
Quiche was a brilliant choice to represent the letter Q in the £75 shop. He discovered pomegranates for P and a £15 USB stick for U.
However, the true challenges arose towards the end of the alphabet.
Graeme shared with a tabloid that he realized he required an ASDA superstore stocked with clothing and various items to locate Z and X.
He browsed the aisles, contemplating whether a toy zebra or a zebra-themed book would be the ideal choice.
To his astonishment, he stumbled upon a zinkeez toy, and was even more taken aback when he saw it listed on the receipt.
Zinkees toys have gained popularity as children's fidget toys, inspired by a viral TikTok video.
Graeme shared that he had actually left the store a week prior because he couldn't locate an X item on his first visit.
He mentioned, 'The store had a section for X box controllers, but there were no products available. So the second time I picked up a few different things and tried it and found the X box dock’.
The 43-year-old also disclosed an unexpected reason for choosing to shop at ASDA.
The supermarket chain offers 'simple descriptions' for their products, in contrast to Tesco, which provides 'much more detailed' descriptions for each item.
Graeme needed the detailed Tesco receipt for a previous artwork he created for Trump’s inauguration.
He visited a shop in Lea Valley and purchased a hair blonding kit, a face tan mist, and a full pack of male diapers.
The marketing professional also bought Cheetos and Coke, poking fun at Trump's eating habits.
This artwork featuring a humorous take on Trump received a warm reception on Reddit, although it didn't achieve the same level of popularity as the A to Z post, which garnered over 33,000 upvotes and 1,400 comments.
Graeme's journey into receipt art began with the creation of a Christmas tree made from festive items.
He purchased goose fat, mince pies, sausages, and carrots—various items of differing lengths—to create a Christmas tree.
Although the receipt may suggest simplicity, Graeme shared with Metro that it involved several encounters with store staff.
He explained, 'The Christmas Tree project was quite stressful! I didn't know you could scan items at the self-checkout and cancel the transaction. I would scan everything, realize it was incorrect, but still pay for it and then go to customer service for a refund
"I did this a couple of times before I finally said, 'I'm sorry for wasting your time; I'm just working on this silly art project.'"
‘It was a challenging experience, but I might attempt it again next year, hopefully with better results.’
Graeme has plans for more unique receipts in the future, including one featuring numbers from one to ten.
He also started a project on Valentine's Day that he intends to revisit nine months later, leaving the rest to our imagination.
This isn't Graeme's first unusual project; he runs a business selling 1.6kg chocolate bricks, which was even highlighted on the popular Off Menu podcast.
‘My wife finds it all a bit confusing,' he admitted to a tabloid.
‘Part of my motivation comes from my work in advertising, where my job is to capture people's attention with my creations.
‘So I can put this project on my portfolio. Creative directors like to see other things you have done on the side.’
SUMMARY
A receipt artist has gained attention for crafting detailed supermarket bills that feature a comprehensive list of items from A to Z. This creative endeavor showcases the artist's ability to blend humor and artistry, particularly highlighted by a prank involving former President Donald Trump. The project not only entertains but also invites viewers to appreciate the artistry in everyday objects, transforming mundane receipts into a canvas for expression. The combination of creativity and satire in this work reflects a unique approach to engaging with contemporary culture.