Feasting on Art

Currently on view at the Begovich Gallery at California State University, Fullerton is the exhibition ‘Acquired Taste: Food and the Art of Consumption’ curated by Alyssa Cordova & Heather Richards of Sickpack projects. The show runs until the 8th of December and features artists whose work focuses on food as subject matter or subtext. Of the show, the curators write, “Artists chosen highlight our reciprocal relationship to food: what we consume, how we consume it and how it consumes us.

Food is not merely nourishment; it is emblematic of who we are or who we desire to become. It has the ability to tie us to our cultural roots or divide us by delineating class, taste and status. It also acts as a social lubricant, comforting us in times of crisis or, when shared among friends, becomes a manifestation of our affection and regard for those we love.

Read the rest of this entry »

The artist Julie Green has been working for more than a decade on her series titled The Last Supper comprised of painted china illustrating the final meal requests of death row inmates in the United States. The menus, gleaned from newspaper clippings and websites humanize a sect of society typically disregarded by the general public. Green paints the menus of The Last Supper series with mineral paint on appropriated dishes she collects from shops and stores. The plates range from delicate white porcelain to heavy cream crockery and the foods from each menu inform the choice of dish, “For dinner food, a heavy plain plate would be appropriate. If the meal is lasagna and shrimp, that might call for a fine porcelain plate.” Gazing from one plate to another, a culinary portrait of the United States begins to emerge. The most beloved menus from each region are singled out to be the last earthly delight of a condemned inmate. From tamales and enchiladas in Texas to boiled crawfish in Louisiana, the regional menus give a sense of the ethnic background of each prisoner.

Julie Green, Mississippi 23 July 1947, 2011
Cobalt mineral paint on kiln-fired ceramic plates, 22.8 x 22.8 x 2.5cm
Fried chicken and watermelon served to a 15-year old and a 16-year old boy.

Read the rest of this entry »

The menu has just been announced for the walking canapé degustation inspired by the art exhibitions at the 2 Danks Street complex. Tickets are still available, book here: http://www.danksstreetdepotwaterloo.eventbrite.com/

As part of the Crave Sydney Food Festival, the Danks Street Depot will be hosting ‘A movable feast celebrating 10 years of art and food’ on October 20th from 7-11pm. 2011 marks a decade since 2 Danks Street’s opening as a space to celebrate great contemporary art and wonderful food. Come and celebrate by attending a roving cocktail party specially created by Jared Ingersoll. Pick up your passport at the door and wander from gallery to gallery for a walking canapé degustation inspired by each exhibition.

Read the rest of this entry »

The review copy of Lucy+ Jorge Orta‘s new book Food Water Life was generously provided by Princeton Architectural Press. I have had this tome on my bedside table stack since May. It has been a pleasure to occasionally dip into the book and study the illustrations but it was not until I spotted a copy propped on the arm of one of those leather sofas with deep corners that I felt propelled to articulate this review. For the purposes of this blog, I will only be considering the first third of the book titled ‘Food.’

Read the rest of this entry »