Food Is Art

Originally published May 5, 2011

Food isn’t just found in kitchens and dining rooms any more. It’s now showing up in art galleries and show rooms, as food art becomes a popular and legitimate form of artistic expression.

Imaginative artists are carving and arranging ordinary fruits and vegetables, like apples and squash, into animal figures and beautiful, wearable dresses. Some are using other common food items like Jell-O, chocolate and butter to craft life-like sculptures of people and scenic depictions of life. The results are visually arresting, and many times, edible and delicious, making this unusual form of art a feast for all the senses.

Art lovers and museum curators have taken notice of food art’s popularity. Last summer, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art organized a five-month-long exhibit and program called “EATLACMA” that focused on food and art and their effects on culture and politics. One part of the exhibits showcased food art, including New York artist Jennifer Rubell’s “Donut Wall” installation, a 60-foot edible wall of countless old-fashioned donuts. (more…)