From plate to palette

Food has long been employed as an allegorical device to convey the subtexts of the times.

Photographs of delicious home-cooked food with luscious spreads of pastas, biryani, cakes and Dalgona coffee have inundated our social media timelines in the last couple of months. The seductive images have been enticing followers, garnering likes and appreciation, but have also stirred up some controversy. Many have pointed out how callous these pictures appear in view of the migrant workers’ situation and when food has become scarce for several people.

The conflict in points of view reiterates how the representation of food, as a source of sustenance and survival; as a symbol of abundance and wealth as well as of famines and droughts, is deeply associated with social, political and economic subtexts.

On social media, the food photographs are an expression of creativity, individuality and a form of communication in these difficult circumstances. Food then, has been a popular motif through the ages and has been represented in various forms in art, its transitioning nature, a reflection of the times. From exquisitely realistic depictions to illustrations and hyper-realistic renderings to edible sculptures and installations, food has been employed as an allegorical device to convey pertinent narratives across various time periods.

The Dutch did it best?

To touch upon a few instances, in the 16th century, artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo painted strange looking, but imaginative portraits composed entirely of fruits, vegetables, animals and flowers arranged to form facial features of the sitters.

When discussing food art, the Dutch still-life paintings immediately come to mind — the lavish food displays served as decadent exhibits of wealth and luxury. Incidentally, these also highlighted the transience of life, and ironically, were a reminder to practice moderation. Jan Davidszoon de Heem’s ‘Still Life with Fruit and Ham’, for instance, an elaborate spread with sliced ham, lobster and a variety of other foods, is a visual extravaganza, much like some of the food photographs on Instagram.

An image far removed from opulent displays is ‘The Potato Eaters’ by Vincent Van Gogh, a picture of frugality, a dark atmosphere, lit by a single lamp, showing a peasant family sitting down for a simple meal. This is a painting decidedly relevant to the subject matter of food, highlighting social disparities and perhaps a reflection of austerity in these troubled times. Even 20th century pop art is characterised by an abundance of food and a marked rise in consumerism in post-war America, the shift in narrative evident in Andy Warhol’s ‘Campbell’s Soup Cans’, Roy Lichtenstein’s ‘Hot Dog with Mustard’ and Wayne Thiebaud’s ‘Cakes’, to give a few examples. Actual food items have also been part of exhibits.

Remember the recent Maurizio Cattelan’s sculpture with a banana duct taped to the wall at Art Basel, Miami? The ritualistic aspects of cooking and serving food have also been part of art performances in galleries.

In contemporary times, the Dutch artist Tjalf Sparnaay stands out for his hyper-realistic large format paintings of food such as fried eggs, French fries, sandwiches and ketchup bottles that are incredibly vivid and detailed.

Sarasvathy T K, an upcoming, New Jersey-based Indian artist is currently working on hyper-realistic paintings of Indian food to capture the diversity of food across regions.

Food clearly forms an expressive tool to document transformations at multiple levels — from individual to societal and its representation is constantly evolving in distinct ways.

The author is a Bangalore-based art consultant, curator and writer. She blogs at Art Scene India and can be reached on [e-mail]

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