For this series, I was inspired by the still life and vanitas paintings of 17th century European artists that features food as a symbolic reference to the culture and lifestyle of prevailing societies. My images were constructed to reflect the staging and lighting of these paintings with the subject focused on the consumption of American store-bought foods.
I started this project with the intention on focusing on the privilege of going to a grocery store for food as the increasing population continues to move us further away from the source of natural product. However, during my exploration of the subject, I found myself questioning what influences us to make these selections from the store shelf and how it epitomizes our society’s choices for convenience. For instance, in an age of Fast and Now, it is not unexpected for factors such as time, cost, or even comfort to be an impact in the choices of nourishment.
In a contemporary response to the ideology of food represented in art, I challenge the viewer to reflect on the impact of society and cultural influences that has made many aspects of life convenient as well as to question what compels them to reach for the instant rather than the authentic.
