Sunday, February 14, 2010

Food Glorious Food


Curated by Adam Zucker

Food, Glorious Food, takes a unique look at the use of food in art. Subjects of food have existed in the works of painters for thousands of years. In the early paintings on the walls of caves, the prehistoric artist showed the hunt and the feast that followed. The old master painter Rembrandt frequently used meat and carcasses in his oil paintings; and today contemporary painter Mark Ryden paints the marbled glaze of steaks and roasts in his conceptual surrealist work. By using imagery of food in a composition artists have altered the way food is seen and understood. The most obvious example was the way Andy Warhol's Campbell Soup paintings changed the way American's shopped, juxtaposing the brand name with a nationalistic and popular ideology.

In the 21st century, food is more of an issue than ever. The last decade was full of fad diets and fast food promotions. On the other hand, some people became more aware of the value of organic foods versus chemically and genetically modified foods. Vegetarianism, once seen only as a religious and moral choice, has become synonymous with "hipster" culture. Whatever the perspective, artists still regard food as a worthy subject for conceptual reasons, or the aesthetic beauty of a culinary composition. To each artist the theme of food means something different.

This exhibition will present a spectrum of artists in different mediums all inspired by food. Beverly Shipko, Christine and Deana Camacho, Jessica Emerson and Kristin Goehringer, present food as whimsical or playful subjects that exhibit personable traits. Beverly Shipko’s series of Disappearing Desserts portray moments of transitory pleasures where the theme is about the individual. Each person eats and treats their food differently and enjoying the food becomes the process for artistic inspiration. Kristen Goehringer creates fun compositions that juxtapose high society and commercial photography with lighthearted playfulness. Christine and Deana Camacho create lovable characters out of their foods in their paintings. Jessica Emerson creates a surrealist environment in her sculpture “Sugar Rush,” where the cupcake is chasing a man through a dreamlike landscape, forcing its sweetness upon him. There are artists who use food as political or social protest like Yancey Gutherie Winch whose digitally created piece GMO1 is a comment on corporate corruption in the genetically modified food industry, Alana Integlio’s The United States shows a cut of steak on one canvas juxtaposed with our United States map portrayed also as a cut of steak. A statement that can be interpreted many ways but ultimately is a poignant view of America’s obsession with beef. Similarly, Adam Zucker shows a series of etchings of his "Burger Monster"creature, a unique monster with a halo eating a hamburger; a comic message about the horrors of beef products. Alex Miritello’s photographs are explorations of our daily environments. She is able to see aesthetic compositions in otherwise mundane situation that most of us might just walk past without noticing. Brian Galderisi proposes the idea that the word food is subjective. In his four drawings and collages he includes the word food. While there might not be obvious literal connotations the mind will be tempted to explore the various implicit connections. It is ultimately food for thought. Carissa Baldino focuses on combining the aesthetic aspect of food and the D.I.Y fashion and design scene. Her work is a screen-print composition of oranges on fabric.For individual artist JPEGS and prices please email: wespacspace@gmail.com

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