Feast for the Eyes: The Story of Food in Photography
The Polygon Gallery, North Vancouver, BC - To May 30
Barely two months into the pandemic, cultural commentators began predicting that, of all the fads COVID-19 might one day be known for, food preparation could top the list. In the pre-internet past, behavioural prognostications were based largely on anecdotal evidence; yet today, when everything is shared through social media, we need simply look at the data. Was it the sourdough loaf we baked, or the photograph we couldn’t wait to take of it? Questions like these come to mind while visiting Feast for the Eyes.
Co-curated by Susan Bright and Denise Wol , this touring exhibition (organized by the Capture Foundation) has something for everyone. North American baby boomers curious about the history of cookbooks will find their childhoods’ reflected in the pages of Betty Crocker, while those familiar with Soviet Russia will report similar findings in its state-published counterpart. Viewers interested in formally innovative approaches to photography can trace the history of the medium through Edward Weston to Cindy Sherman. In addition to touch-friendly books and pictures, Feast for the Eyes features a number of artist- and chef-led events, lectures and demonstrations focused on community, nutrition and food-sourcing.
The more than 60 featured artists include Derya Akay, Nobuyoshi Araki, Henri Cartier Bresson, Lans Christensen, Hannah Collins, Sharon Core, Grant Cornet, Imogen Cunningham, Robert Doisneau, Roe Ethridge, Marion Faller and Hollis Frampton, Rotimi Fani-Kayode, Peter Fischli and David Weiss, Nan Goldin, Hiroyo Kaneko, Rinko Kawauchi, Laura Letinsky, Ouka Leele, Man Ray, Vik Muniz, Helmet Newton, Martha Rosler, Ed Ruscha, Carolee Schneemann, Stephen Shore, Mickalene Thomas, Wolfgang Tillmans, Lorenzo Vitturi, Tim Walker, Andy Warhol, Donald Weber and Weegee.
