Feasting on Art

On August 5th, the exhibition Slow Burn – A century of Australian women artists from a private collection, will open at the S.H. Ervin Gallery. I have spent the past four months working very hard on the exhibition catalogue and am very proud to be a co-author on such an exciting and important project. Of the 102 artists from the collection, I researched and wrote 47 of the bios – the reason the Feasting on Art posts have been quite infrequent. The collection ranges “from the delicate pastels of Janet Cumbrae Stewart to the modernist prints of Margaret Preston through to the bio-techno sculptures of Patricia Piccinini. The works in the exhibition demonstrate the skill and versatility of women artists over the past hundred years” (S.H. Ervin Gallery). In honour of the exhibition I plan to do a mini-series featuring a few of the artists represented in the collection as well as one or two of the artworks that I did not write about for the book. The exhibition will be on view at the S.H. Ervin Gallery until the 19th of September.

Margaret Olley, Still life with mandarins, c.1975
oil on board, 76 x 122 cm, Private collection

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A baker I am not. I am not diligent with measurements – often adding a bit too much of this and not enough of that. With that being said, I am pleased when a recipe just works, especially with my unmeasured prodding. We had very special guests visiting this weekend and I was able to accrue other opinions re: the deliciousness of this cake. It is moist and decadent with the sweet/sour of the simmered oranges cutting through the richness of the chocolate and molasses. The fresh ginger pops and is mirrored by the ground ginger in the batter. Believe me, it is highly addictive and if possible, best enjoyed on a picnic with a cup of strong coffee and a view like this.

Paul Cézanne, Still Life with Ginger Jar, Sugar Bowl, and Oranges, 1902-06
Oil on canvas, 60.6 x 73.3 cm, Museum of Modern Art, New York City

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The day Ozoz’s package from the Netherlands arrived was a very exciting one, not only because of the delicious caramel cookies but  also the beautiful cookbook filled with the things I love. Ozoz writes the food blog Kitchen Butterfly and is one of the most dedicated bloggers I read, posting every other day. She kindly sent me a copy of the cookbook Dutch Culinary Art which she first wrote about on her blog back in December after meeting two of the three writers. The book is filled with traditional recipes introduced by sweet little anecdotes about their origin and history. Dispersed throughout are opulent still lifes and pleasant kitchen scenes. Ozoz’s blog is more than just a record of recipes and culinary delights, she provides useful travel guides as well as everything you would need to know about food before visiting the Netherlands. I only wish I knew about her blog when I lived in the UK and frequented the ‘Orange Country‘ – her affectionate name for the Dutch countryside. Thank you again Ozoz for the beautiful book and for working with me on this collaboration!
 

Visit Ozoz’s blog Kitchen Butterfly for a recipe for Pumpkin Ice Cream & Lemonettes.

Willem Kalf, Still Life with a Chinese Tureen, 1662
Oil on canvas, 64 x 53cm, Staatliche Museen, Berlin

 
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The period of art known as Pointallism was evolutionary due to the mathematical approach to colour and optics. The art up until the late 1880s was driven by the emotive qualities of colour and location. Pointallism marked a scientific foray into the arts similar to the complex perspecitval theories developed by Renaissance artists. The beauty of Pointallism is its methodical simplicity – small dabs of pure colour are applied to the canvas that are intended to mix in the viewer’s eye. When developing a recipe for this post I sought to embody this principal, two strong flavours that are simultaneously distinct yet blended into an alluring orange-cream beverage.

Paul Signac is one of the lesser known proponents of Pointillism. His palate was influenced by his travels on the coast – the brilliant blues and vibrant greens of the sea melded with his free and expressive brushstrokes. The zig-zag texture in the background of the composition gives the painting a sense of movement among the static objects. Although Signac is predominantly known for his portrait of Félix Fénéon (completed 7 years after Still Life with a Book) his entire body of work influenced some of the great subsequent artists including Henri Matisse.

{Roasted Vanilla Orange Juice}

4 large oranges
1 vanilla pod
3 c water
1/2 c sugar

Juice 3 oranges and set aside. Slice the fourth orange and place on roasting tray with 1 c water and 1/4 c sugar and the vanilla pod. Roast for about 25 minutes until the oranges begin to caramelize. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Mix the remaining sugar and water until dissolved over high heat in a small saucepan. Reduce the heat to a simmer and let cook for about 5 minutes. Set aside and cool.

Once the roasted oranges have cooled, juice and discard the rinds. Scrape the vanilla seeds from the pod and add to the juice. Strain the water and sugar mixture from the roasting pan. Once the simple syrup in the sauce pan is cool add to the juice mixture and then chill in the refrigerator.

Serve cold.

The next few posts have been carefully planned to coincide with my parents visiting from the States. I last saw them in June ’08 and I can hardly believe I will have them sitting here with me in my flat tomorrow morning. Needless to say, I am very happy and I decided to make this bread a ‘welcome to Australia’ treat for their arrival. I made it for my friend Cassie when she came to visit me in London and we decided that the lemon glaze is what makes this loaf so special.

Vincent van Gogh, Still Life: Red Poppies and Daisies, 1890
oil on canvas, 65 x 50 cm, Private Collection

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