Week 6 – I dedicated this week to combing through my old WordPress sites and projects to find the work I want to highlight as part of my capstone. I picked out the sections from each quarter’s work and started writing mini-reflections on why I chose them and their importance. I will need to put a few more hours in but I am almost done with this piece of my ILC.
Week 7
This week I wanted to look through artistic examples of food and sexuality, heads up for photographed partial nudity and painted full nudity.
Food, Sex, Art: The Starving Artists Cookbook Curated by EIDIA (1986-1991)
Curated by the art duo EIDIA (Everything I Do Is Art) comprised of Paul Lamarre and Melissa P. Wolf, Food, Sex, Art The Starving Artists Cookbook examines both illustrations and literary explorations of food and sex in an artist’s kitchen. The idea was born out of a recipe, what Lamarre refers to as “Starving Artists Beans and Onions” in AnOther Magazine (2018).
Each artist was given a piece of 5×8″ rag paper, and a piece of 5×8″ cardstock, the former for them to present their artwork and the latter for them to record their recipe. Their project lasted from 1986 until 1991, featuring over 160 artists and becoming a collector’s item in the years following. While some of it is available online, much of it seems to be limited behind paywalls or only found in the books themselves.
Starification Object Series by Hannah Wilke (1975)
Hannah Wilke’s S.O.S Starification Object Series was an interpretation of women’s rights and gender roles in food and sexuality, with each piece of gum chewed up, spat out, and delicately sculpted to resemble a vulva, neatly lined up or pressed to the artist’s skin in her voyeuristic, sometimes nude photographs. Her poses and outfits were pulled directly from magazines, editorials, and advertisements featuring women. Many have interpreted this series to speak to society’s view on women as being disposable, easy to manipulate, or perhaps a play on virginity scare tactics.
While only the image on the far left was submitted for Food, Sex, Art, I wanted to take a look at what was available of the rest of the collection, as well as the performance aspect of this work. First performed in 1975, visitors could take and chew their own piece of gum to be returned to Wilke for her project. Wilke would sit topless for the gum, which would then be “stretched and folded the pliable wads into small, labia-shaped sculptures and stuck them to her skin.” (MoMA)
Sashimi T.V Dinner by Shigeko Kubota (1987)
Kubota’s contribution features turquoise marker and collage, with a large sashimi fish being observed and videoed by a young duo, seemingly pasted in by the artist. This piece is simple yet filling, the accompanying recipe is a homey meal that cleverly already has an association with a comfy night in front of the T.V.
Shigeko Kubota was known for her video sculptures and feminist artistry, being described as “an indomitable figure whose multidisciplinary career spanned more than five decades” by MoMA. Her work did not shy away from eroticism, voyeurism, or nudity, with her performance artwork being regarded as iconic acts of feminist grandeur. She would often use her artwork as a response, parallelling artists such as Jackson Pollock and Marcel Duchamp, giving them themes of feminism or lucid fantastical twists.
Paintings of Sexuality, Food, and Mythos
The Wedding of Cupid and Psyche – Various Artists
The wedding of Cupid and Psyche is one of many stories in Metamorphosis, and it tells tale of Psyche, the youngest and most beautiful daughter of a King and Queen in the mortal world, and Cupid, the son of an angry Venus. Despite their respective families attempting to force them apart, the saga follows Psyche as she navigates both the mortal and immortal realms for her lover, evading jealous sisters and vengeful gods to finally be reunited.
Their wedding is the subject of many paintings in the Renaissance Era, often depicting lavish and busy landscapes of food, wine, and naked guests. After spending so much time apart, having never made love with the lights on, and suffering through the many trials put forth by the gods and others she encounters on her journey, these scenes of abundance and overt sexuality are a stark contrast.
The Judgment of Paris by Henri Pierre
The Judgment of Paris is a well-known story in Greek mythology, most often linked to the war of Troy. The narrative centers around three Greek goddesses, Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera, as they bicker over who is the most beautiful being. The decision is left up to Paris of Troy, who is asked to present an apple to the goddess he finds most appealing. Aphrodite bribes Paris by offering him the most beautiful mortal woman and he presents her with the apple. These acts set off the War of Troy, as the woman in question is Helen of Sparta, the wife of a Greek king.
The painting has a soft swirled background that shows an audience looking upon the scene as if through a reflection or water. Every figure both in the background and on the mortal plane is in some state of half-nudity or undress, but it seems so natural to the scene despite its lack of direct sexual content. You can infer from the face of Paris that he is in a state of joy, possibly from looking upon three beautiful goddesses, possibly from the promise his prize presents. Either way, the gold apple in his hand represents a prize for each party.
The apple is an interesting symbol to be found here, I cannot help but think about it in comparison to the apple in the Garden of Eden and the first sin. The apple told them they were nude, made them feel shameful for their nakedness, and gave them forbidden knowledge. This scene shows no signs of shame or disgust towards nudity, yet the apple does represent the lustful sin presented in the Bible, as well as the forbidden knowledge being that which starts a war.