Thursday, September 13, 2012

GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT: THE FUSION OF FOOD AND CRAFT


An Exhibition in Three Servings
Opening at the Craft in America Study Center on November 17, 2012 
Contact: Emily Zaiden
(323) 951-0610, emilyzaiden@craftinamerica.org

(Los Angeles, CA) - On November 17, 2012, the Craft in America Study Center in Los Angeles will proudly inaugurate a three-part series of exhibitions focusing on the intersection of contemporary craft and food, “Good Enough to Eat: the Fusion of Food and Craft”. These shows will explore work by innovators who are redefining craft and the new role that it serves in our increasingly food-centric culture.

The exhibitions will approach food-driven craft from three angles:
Food as impetus for craft: November 17, 2012- January 19, 2013
Food as subject for craft: February 2, 2013 – April 6, 2013
Food as medium for craft: April 20, 2013 – June 22, 2013

Food was a motivational font for craft from its earliest origins. Objects have facilitated and elevated the act of cooking and consumption throughout history, from woven baskets to clay storage jars, blown glass vessels and metal utensils. In the first segment, “Food as Impetus for Craft,” we will feature functional, exceptional objects designed for the multi-sensory enhancement of food preparation or presentation. Well-executed serving pieces and kitchen tools transform the edible experience and encourage us to stop and think about what we eat and how things taste. They mark the ceremony of holiday dinners, set the tone of social gatherings and become invested with memories of our most memorable meals. Katherine Gray’s conceptual glassware, Chunghi Choo’s sculpture silver, and Julia Galloway’s lyrical pottery are among the pieces that will be highlighted.

The second portion of the exhibition, “Food as Subject for Craft,” will feature work by artists who deal with edible subject matter in their creations, through visual depiction or conceptual reference. Among the selected artists, glass maestra Beth Lipman brings the still life into 3-dimensions with sculptures that appear frozen in time. Sienna DeGovia, an emerging Los Angeles artist, explores issues of superficiality and overindulgence through polymer sculptures of candy and other hyper-saccharinated treats.

Food as Medium for Craft,” the final segment, will include a range of work created from edible materials. The work will span from professional artists who are boldly experimenting with new potential substances, to master carvers from beyond the traditional confines of the art world who sculpt fruit, vegetable and dairy products into over-the-top showstoppers. This third segment will broaden definitions of craft and examine historic, yet overlooked aspects of the craft world.

The “Good Enough to Eat” exhibition series promises to be a feast for the senses.

Programming woven throughout the duration of the exhibition series will examine the new wave of edible or consumable craft with talks and demonstrations by noted artisanal food pioneers, food authors and food stylists. A lecture and workshop schedule is forthcoming.

About CRAFT IN AMERICA
Craft in America is a Los Angeles-based non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and advancing original handcrafted work, through educational programs in all media, accessible to all. The CRAFT IN AMERICA project includes a national prime time PBS documentary series, a 300-page companion book, traveling museum exhibitions, and an extensive website with teachers’ guides and video clips of artists at work. The CRAFT IN AMERICA Study Center is an extensive craft-focused library, an archive of video footage, and a gallery space with rotating exhibitions featuring the work of contemporary artists who work in craft.

The Craft in America Study Center is located at 8415 West Third Street, 2 blocks East of La Cienega. The Study Center is open Thursday - Saturday from 12:00 - 6:00 pm. For more information: info@craftinamerica.org or (323) 951-0610.

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