Edible Art
by Kimberly Stevens
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Have you ever had the irrepressible urge to take a bite out of that ancient ruin or obelisk you recently visited? Maybe not, but next month the Getty Center in Los Angeles will make it possible.
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The Getty Research Institute exhibition "The Edible Monument: The Art of Food for Festivals," on view from February 26th through May 21st,
will take a look at artistic decorations and monuments made from food. The art was eaten long ago, but the designs have been preserved in a collection of festival books and prints dating back to 16th through 19th century Europe.
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"Crystal and Gourds"
David Martin
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"Fruit and Mountains"
Belerfon Dalalyan
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With legendary revelers like Louis XIV and his notorious love of decadent festivals at Versailles, edible art became trendy throughout Europe. It
was common for sculptors and artists to create towering, fantastical baroque centerpieces and architecture out of sugar paste, fruits, pastries, roasted pigs, ice and precious metals.
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For the Getty exhibit, a full-scale sugar sculpture created by culinary historian Ivan Day will be on display. And on loan from Fairfax House, in York, England, "Palace of Circe, Dessert Table” will be on view. It is a classical temple with balustrades and sugar sand parterres, originally built to instruct guests on the consequences of gluttony with a story about Ulysses' men who were turned to pigs by a sorceress named Circe.
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"Still Life - Peaches"
Belerfon Dalakyan
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"Wild about Pears"
Marie-Louise McHugh
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Even the Getty restaurant will participate by incorporating desserts inspired by those in the
exhibit into their regular dinner menu.
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Read our archived Art in the News |
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