A traveling art exhibit that explores the profound role food plays in shaping culture and community will run on Long Island through June 30.
The photo on the right shows a piece by artist Donald Sultan, who participated in the 2018 event at the Parrish Art Museum. [+] These dishes are on display at the Museum of Art in Water Mill, New York, in their current exhibit, “The Art of Food.”
Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
The Art of Food, currently on view at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, New York, features more than 100 drawings, paintings, photography, sculpture, and ceramics by 37 Jordan D. Schnitzer Foundation artists. Works on display include post-war artists such as David Hockney, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Ed Ruscha, and Andy Warhol; contemporary artists such as Enrique Chagoya, Jenny Holzer, Allison Saar, Lorna Simpson, and Rachel Whiteread; and artists with deep roots in the museum's East End on Long Island, including Robert Gober, Roy Lichtenstein, and Donald Sultan.
“The title of this exhibition aptly describes how food continues to inspire and fascinate artists,” said Colin Erni, chief curator at the Parrish Art Museum. “The exhibition brings together incredible works that explore the multifaceted nature of food as a cultural symbol and artistic medium; works that provide much joy and provoke many questions about food in our society.”
“Since time immemorial, artists of all generations have incorporated food into their work. Food is the most universal part of our lives — think about food and shelter. In today's world, food impacts every aspect of our lives — our social interactions, what we put into our bodies, the people who are malnourished every day, the impact of climate change on food production — all of these are important issues of our time,” said Schnitzer, a Portland, Oregon-based businessman and philanthropist.
He added, “The artists in this exhibition not only bring us joy and humour, but also provide us with thoughtful challenges to our health based on what we eat! I hope that everyone who visits this exhibition will leave with new ideas about the importance of food in our lives through the voices of these incredible artists!”
The exhibit also relates to the history of the eastern end of Long Island as an important fishing and agricultural region in New York State.
According to Parrish, “The area was developed as farmland in the 1640s, and by the 1820s 95 percent of the population lived on farms. Greenport and Sag Harbor were trading and whaling ports, while Peconic Bay was known for its seafood. Today the East End remains an agricultural center, producing more than 100 types of crops and increasingly known as a wine region with more than 60 vineyards.”
