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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Adriaen Coorte, A bundle of asparagus, 1703
30 x 23 cm, oil on canvas, Fitzwilliam Museum

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Liz from the beautiful blog Zested was one of my first ‘regulars’ here on Feasting on Art and she replied to my open call for still life suggest. Cotán’s Still Life with Quince, Cabbage, Melon and Cucumber was given the recipe treatment and lucky for me, Liz saved a doozy of a suggestion for our collaboration! I frequent her site for not only tantalizing flavour combinations – Frozen Citrus Cream with Candied Thyme & White Chocolate Grapes with Orange Curd – but diligently composed and lit photographs. My mouth waters every time I look at her caramelized tomato tart and I cannot even begin to wax poetic about her Mexican Hot Chocolate! Thank you for such an exciting collaboration Liz!

Be sure to visit Liz’s blog for the recipe for Scarlet Poached Pears and Ginger Pumpkin Bread.

Louis Comfort Tiffany, Pumpkin and Beets window, c.1899-1900
leaded favrile glass, 114 x 142.9 cm, The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art

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I am at the six month mark with this little blog and within the collection of paintings, prints, and sculptures featured on the site, one element has been sorely lacking – photographs. Throughout my studies I was always particularly interested in studying photographers, I found the manipulation of the mechanical medium to be enthralling. By frequenting the Tate galleries and the yearly Frieze art fair while living in the UK, I was introduced to David Shrigley and Martin Parr’s art. My own personal aesthetic style has been greatly influenced by both artists. I wanted to embody the irony often found in Shrigley’s work within the recipe selection for this post. I thought, by elevating the common condiments of ketchup and mustard to a relatively posh concoction with sophisticated flavors, I would be able to mirror the satire of the everyday life found in the photograph. In effect, the lavish attention paid to the condiments turns a low-brow summer dinner into an interesting meal I would eagerly anticipate at any BBQ.

David Shrigley, Hot Dog, 2002
30 x 40 cm, Photograph on paper, edition of 10

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I am of the mindset that cheese makes everything better. Each day, at least one of my meals will feature some form of cheese and I enjoy finding recipes that act as a supplement to my beloved fromage. The pear butter is sweet and rich and is perfect paired with knob of creamy blue cheese on a peppery cracker.

Louis Lozowick, Still Life #2, image: 26.3 x 33.7 cm, sheet: 36 x 51.2 cm
Lithograph in black on woven paper, 1929, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

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