curated by Gina Fiore and Rob Edelman

For better or worse, food is something we all need, crave, occasionally try to do without and fear – sometimes all at once. This exhibition focuses on a preoccupation with food as image and idea in contemporary culture. Going beyond the notion of the traditional still life, as redefined by Cézanne, and after centuries of a rich history of imagery and iconography that dates back to cave painting, Egyptian and Roman art, contemporary artists have again taken on the complex relationship of human society with that which is ingested and imbibed.

Taking into account the complexity of the globalization of what constitutes a meal, through the continuing controversy about additives, processed food and hormone treated livestock and fertilizers in produce, artists have attempted to interpret and translate these often controversial and life altering events in the treatment and distribution of food in a world society. Dealing with these complex issues with humor and irony, as well as integrating the subject of food as commerce and pleasure into the themes of contemporary art and culture, these artists are commenting on how we view our lives as well as our diets.