Gastro-Vision: Feeding Suburbia

Fritz Haeg, "Edible Estates Regional Prototype Garden #6 (installation view)," 2008. Commissioned by Contemporary Museum Baltimore. Courtesy the artist and The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum. Photo: Leslie Furlong.

"Gastro-Vision" is my monthly food-art column on the Art21 blog. Here's an excerpt from this month's post:

In the early 1970s, Bill Owens began to document the suburban boom in the California Bay Area. Every Saturday for a year, he photographed middle-class Americans in and around their homes, posed in modern kitchens, barbequing in the backyard, seated around the dinner table, and hosting Tupperware parties. Food figures prominently into the artist’s portraits of suburban life. In Untitled (Joy of Cooking) (1971), currently on view in the Getty Center exhibition In Focus: Tasteful Pictures, Owens has captured a kitchen pantry stocked with canned and packaged foodstuffs. Such an abundance of imitation foods was, at that time, a sign of prosperity. The tables have certainly turned. That same pantry today would suggest poverty, obesity, and poor health.

The hidden costs of living the American Dream — embodied in part by the “convenience” foods pictured in Untitled (Joy of Cooking) — has led to a rethinking of the suburbs and the current push to return to food ways of earlier generations. Enter the work of Los Angeles-based artist-architect Fritz Haeg.

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Eye Candy: Jordan Eagles

Jordan Eagles, URTS (detail), 2008.
Blood, copper preserved on plexiglass, UV resin, 36 x 36 x 3 in.

In Jordan Eagles's New Blood series he suspends, encases, and permanently preserves animal blood (salvaged from slaughterhouses) in plexiglass and UV resin. This technique retains the blood’s natural colors and textures. Gallery lighting reveals the medium's many layers and is almost as important as the piece itself. "The materials and luminosity," says the artist, "relate to themes of corporeality, mortality, spirituality, and science—regenerating the blood as sublime."

The group exhibition Coincidental Opposites at Causey Contemporary in Brooklyn will include work from the New Blood series. Runs July 16 - August 23.

The World's First Food Truck Drive-In

The New York City Food Film Festival, DUMBO, 2010.

The New York City Food Film Festival presents documentaries, features and short films about food. All of the films are selected by a panel of industry experts. The 2010 selections ranged from political food puns, and grits in the American South, to a portrait of a Brooklyn knifemaker, and a passionate bread-baker in Austria. The festival, now in its fourth year, continues to grow in popularity not only for its films but also for its niche events like this year's Food Truck Drive-In Movie, the first in the world. The premise was simple: food trucks drove in and viewer-eaters arrived on foot. I was, of course, one of them.

Looking back at everything I ate that day, it's no wonder I woke up the next morning with a major food hangover. (Nayland Blake's early video Gorge comes to mind.) The smorgasbord of offerings included delicious shrimp and lobster rolls from Red Hook Lobster Pound, dumplings from 2009 Vendy winner Rickshaw Truck, cheese sandwiches grilled by Milk Truck NYC, expensive vegan burgers and organic chicken burritos from The Green Truck, a wild choice of desserts from Le Petit Temptation, packaged goodies by Brooklyn confectioners Whimsy and Spice, and Liddabit Sweets, creamy cones from the Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Truck, and much more.

Flourless Coconut Cookie with Nutella filling, Street Sweets.

Lobster Roll with a pickle and chips, Red Hook Lobster Pound. 

Gastro-Vision: Bourgeois the Artist, Bourgeois the Cook

Louise Bourgeois, Avenza Revisited II, 1968-1969. Bronze, silver nitrate patina, 51 1/2 x 41 x 75 1/2 in. Courtesy Cheim & Read and Hauser & Wirth.

"Gastro-Vision" is my monthly food-art column on the Art21 blog. Here's an excerpt from this month's post:

The passing of Louise Bourgeois (Season 1) naturally prompted a host of critics to reflect on her life and artwork. They have written of her famed sculptures and textiles, recurring spider motif, pioneering exhibitions, childhood traumas, and the Sunday salons in her Chelsea home. Now, what about Bourgeois’s cooking?

They say that cooking is, like other art forms, an expression of one’s inner self. As I read Bourgeois’s obituaries, many of them recalling the artist’s charms and spunk, I began to wonder if she cooked? If her approach to food was anything like her approach to art? If her cooking looked like her artwork? Or what her artwork might tell us about her cooking? While these inquiries might seem random, chef Mario Batali has pointed out that “food, even more than art, allows an admirer to relate to [an] artist on common ground,” and there is perhaps no “better way to come to appreciate and understand an artist than through [her] appetite.” Luckily, I found that Bourgeois contributed to at least three cookbooks in her lifetime: The Museum of Modern Art’s Artists’ Cookbook (1977) by Madeleine Conway and Nancy Kirk, Food Sex Art: The Starving Artists’ Cookbook (1991) by Paul Lamarre and Melissa P. Wolf (aka EIDIA), and The Artist’s Palate: Cooking with the World’s Greatest Artists (2003) by Frank Fedele.

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A Mixed Bag (6.2.10)

Leslie Wayne, One Big Love #32, 2009. Oil on wood, 9 3/4 x 12 3/4 in. via Jack Shainman Gallery.com.

One Big Love: This ongoing series of small paintings by Leslie Wayne was inspired by an article in the New Yorker entitled “The Eureka Hunt.” The writer articulated a condition of mental acuity not unlike an artist's moment of inspiration. Wayne's own process of "letting go" or "getting in the zone" by listening to music underlies her latest works in this series. @ Jack Shainman Gallery through July 16.

Summer Jam: Hip hop officials rate Kanye West's (crazy-good and supposedly unfinished) new single "Power" in teddy bears.

Paddington Bear: An exhibition about the famous stuffed character (who frequently indulged in marmalade sandwiches) is on view at the Reading Museum in Berkshire through July 4.

Seditious Sweets: Shut Up, Foodie brings street art to cupcakes with Banksy-inspired toppers, including a panda whose packin' heat.

To Believe: Curated by Jeffrey Walkowiak for Visual AIDS, this exhibition brings together a stellar group of artists and artworks around the subject of metaphysical belief. @ La Mama La Galleria, June 3-27. Companion videos screen every Sunday @ 4pm.

Two-Minute Film Fest: Filmmakers are invited to submit their "finest" and shortest video to Carnegie Museum of Art for a screening at the museum on July 15. Submission deadline June 15.

The Bad Food Awards, created by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, acknowledge mind blowingly unhealthy meals from The Cheesecake Factory and other restaurant chains.

BonBonBonds: The U.K.'s first ever "chocolate bond" offers investors returns in chocolate rather than cash.

Chocolate Malt Cake.

Delightfully Disgusting: Beautiful/Decay has launched a three-part series on artists who play with their food.

Blech!: Sushi made to pop in your mouth like Pez.

She's All Ears: Artist Christina Kelly will plant corn in the Boerum Hill area of Brooklyn as part of her project Maize Field, which examines the borough’s agrarian history.

A Vernacular of Violence: This group exhibition, devoted to artists who use images of violence as a sort of vernacular source material, includes works by Claire Fontaine, Lisa Kirk, Walid Raad, among others. @ Invisible Exports through June 20.

Artists are Insane: BBC reports that creative minds mimic schizophrenia.

Mars Moves East: Rising demand for confectionary in the Middle East has led to a new $40 million chocolate factory in Dubai. The site will produce Mars and Snickers bars.

Tea with Mike Tyson.

Eye Candy: Jeff Vespa's Burgers

Jeff Vespa, Burgers series. Polaroid, 8 x 10 or 20 x 24 in. All images courtesy the artist.

Artist and celebrity photographer Jeff Vespa has been photographing burgers around Los Angeles for the past few years. These large-format Polaroids were published in New York Times Magazine in 2006; and exhibited at Rush Arts Gallery in New York that same year. Currently, a selection of Vespa's Burgers are on view at Scion Space in Culver City, California. They are included in the exhibition Palate, which explores artists' use of food as muse and medium.


Vespa says of Burgers:

I have driven cross country several times and I am always was fascinated by the diners you encounter along the way...These diners always have laminated menus with photos of food. The photos are like clip art stock photos from the 1950's -- not photographs of food that the restaurant is actually serving. I had the idea that I wanted to be the photographer that shot those photographs that ended up on laminated menus. Back in L.A., it came to me that I could do that...as an art piece. I decided I would shoot photos of all the fast food hamburgers in L.A. ...It is kind of a play on pop art because the image is instantly recognizable and when you see so many in repetition it reminds you of Warhol. However, each burger is only shot once on Polaroid which makes each piece one of a kind, just like the actual burger. [These images] make you look at what you are eating, because when you eat a burger you don’t actually ever look at it. You just stuff it in your face.

Vespa's photos appear regularly in major publications, including Vanity Fair, Vogue, Time, Newsweek, People, and GQ. He is co-founder of the global photo agency WireImage, as well as Life.com editor-at-large.

Palate continues through June 12. Watch a trailer for the exhibition on Vimeo.

Gastro-Vision: Whack! Contemporary Artists and Piñatas

Aaron Krach, "Indestructible Object," 2009. Pinata, copper leaf, chocolate, Plexi. 30 x 18 x 8 inches. Edition: 1/3. Courtesy the artist and DCKT.

"Gastr0-Vision" is my monthly column on the Art21 blog. It is dedicated to all things food in contemporary art and visual culture. Here's an excerpt from this month's post:

The much-talked-about Andy Warhol piñata, created by Jennifer Rubell for last month’s Brooklyn Ball, offered a witty art spin on an old party tradition. Instead of the usual candy contents, this piñata spilled Hostess brand snack cakes, icons of American junk food culture, redolent of Warhol’s work in pop art. Given the amount of art world enthusiasm about the piece, it seems a good moment to look at piñatas as an art form. Rubell is not the first to make clever use of this sweet-filled object. What follows is by no means an exhaustive history of artist’s piñatas, but a look at some recent ones that, similar to Rubell’s, were stuffed with small treats and big concepts.

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A Mixed Bag (5.14.10)

Narcissister, Tony Stamolis from "Hot Lunch," 2009. Courtesy the artist.

Narcissister performs at The Kitchen this weekend with her cast of masked companions. She will debut This Masquerade, a series of performances that critique pop culture’s "spurious" ideas about black femininity. Show times and wait list info here.

Fat vs. Phat: Blogger Tasha Fierce on the under representation of black plus size models in mainstream fashion.

Speaking From the Diaphragm: Berlin-based performance artist Vaginal Davis will present live and Skype guests from the worlds of literature, dance, theatre, film and art (including Kembra Pfahler and Derrick Adams). May 15-27 @ PS122.

Heaven's Lemons: Braided lemon bread, candied lemon slices, and a nicely photographed lemon twist.

Field of Gold: In 1982, artist Agnes Denes planted and harvested two acres of wheat in lower Manhattan. See documentation of this Public Art Fund project in the current issue of Red Flag.

Get SmArt: This summer, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council will offer a professional development workshop for artists. Registration is now open. Participants will be selected by lottery.

Get a Job: MoMA/PS1 seeks a curatorial assistant in Performance and Contemporary Practice.

Retire Ronald: A call for the hamburger clown to hang up his big red shoes.

Food Party: IFC has launched the second season of this crazy cooking and puppetry show by Brooklyn-based artist Thu Tran. Tuesday nights at 10pm.

Munchies in Motion: Eat your way through New York City's Greenwich Village on a food scavenger hunt. May 30 @ 1pm.

NYC Food Film Festival: This year's festival includes the world’s first food truck drive-in movie.

Abalicious: Peek behind the scenes of Annie Leibovitz's photo shoot with several six-packed World Cup players.

World Cup Cupcakes.

On Games: The Post Family/Bad at Sports sheds some light on childhood games like Kickball, and (ick) Smear the Queer.

Mile High: Nine cultural institutions are open to the public free of charge for New York's annual Museum Mile Festival. June 8, 6-9pm.

White Flight, Part II: America's suburbs are now more likely to be home to minorities.

Oaxacan Cinnamon Chocolate Macaroons.

The Largest Potluck on Earth

Slideluck Potshow, Ottawa. Photo via Slideluck Potshow Network.

Slideluck Potshow is a non-profit organization that exhibits works by both novice and established artists by way of slideshows. These public events, which are held all over the world, are each preceded by a two-hour potluck style dinner. Home-cooked dishes and drinks are provided by attendees.

The next Slideluck Potshow in New York City will be held under the Manhattan Bridge Archway on May 15. This particular event is competing to break The Guinness Book of World Records for the Largest Potluck on Earth. The current record holding potluck was sponsored by the makers of Promise margarine and offered 602 individual dishes. Slideluck Potshow will, in contrast, emphasize local and seasonal ingredients. To be part of this potentially historical event, go here to purchase tickets ($10-$20).

Also, check out the (soon to be updated) Slideluck Potshow recipe collection, where you'll find treats like Butterfinger Rum Cheesecake, Peach Custard Pie, and Coconut Date Rolls.

Brooklyn Ball 2010: The Remains (Updated)

Jennifer Rubell, Icons (detail), 2010. Animal and dimensions unknown. Photo: N.J. Caruth/Contemporary Confections.

Last night, the Brooklyn Museum held their annual fundraising gala, the Brooklyn Ball. In previous years, stars such as Kanye West, Marc Jacobs, Kristen Davis, and Linda Evangelista have been the talk of the evening. But this year was all about food celebrities. Chefs Mario Batali and Marcus Samuelsson were just two of the personalities on hand for the main attraction: an edible installation and interactive dinner created by rising food artist Jennifer Rubell.

Jennifer Rubell, Icons (detail), 2010. Rabbits, dimensions unknown. Photo: N.J. Caruth/Contemporary Confections.

Rubell's installation, Icons, was described as "an interactive food journey through the Museum." Cocktail hour included, among other things, drinking paintings, and suspended melting cheese heads. Mounds of beans, potatoes, salad greens, asparagus, and various proteins set atop large plywood boxes comprised the serve-yourself dinner feast. Though I couldn't participate in this (expensive) eating experience, I did get a peak at the remains during the after party. While others were in the lobby sipping cocktails, and breaking open a colossal Warhol piñata filled with Sno Balls, Twinkies, Ding Dongs, other Hostess treats, I was looking at piles of cooked rabbits and mangled pig carcasses in the third-floor Beaux-Arts Court. I heard from a few meat lovers on staff that even they found this scene disturbing (see slideshow), but maybe that was the point.

In a recent panel discussion on gluttony in art, Rubell addressed her use of food as a medium, saying that her work “looks a lot like gluttony" -- a term with “an extreme moral component” -- yet morals around food are not what interest her as an artist. She is drawn to the aesthetic and psychological properties of food. This is what I find most intriguing about Rubell's work and the above images. The remains of dinner were hard to look at, yes, but also oddly hypnotizing. Visit Rubell's website to see more images from Icons.

More on Brooklyn Ball 2010:
Bloomberg
Eater
Eat Me Daily - Part I and II
Hyperallergic
Wall Street Journal
Women's Wear Daily