Louisiana Art and Science Museum to Host Feast for the Eyes: The Story of Food in Photography

Disclosure :: This post is sponsored by the Louisiana Art & Science Museum.

Louisiana Art & Science Museum to host Feast for the Eyes: The Story of Food in Photography

For as long as we humans have enjoyed what we eat, we’ve documented our food in whatever artistic medium is in fashion or available. In the modern era, this obsession has been captured by the art and science of photography.

Organized by the Aperture Foundation and curated by Susan Bright and Denise Wolff, Feast for the Eyes is a traveling exhibition of photographs that explores our obsession with photographing food, eating, and the rituals that often surround them. Destined for an international tour, this dynamic and diverse collection of photographs is making its first stop at the Art & Science Museum from June 13 to September 16. Featuring over 100 photographs by many of the most well-known names in photography, the exhibition explores the rich history of food as a primary subject in the medium, from the still life images of its early days to the lavish cookbook illustrations of the 1950s and family gatherings in the 1970s enjoying holiday feasts.

Elizabeth Weinstein, the Art & Science Museum’s Assistant Director for Interpretation & Chief Curator, believes the exhibition will prove to be popular, given Louisiana’s love affair with food.

“In Louisiana, we understand the importance of food! Food is so much more than just something we eat; it brings people together,” she said. “As a community museum, and one that explores both art and science, the subject of food and photography are appealing topics for our visitors.”

While some may view food photography as a banal indulgence of the social media era, what we eat is in many ways the perfect muse for artistic expression. What else could elicit such deep-seated questions concerning (just to name a few) family, traditions, lifestyle, gender, race, pleasure, and disgust?

Featuring photographs from across artistic and commercial practices, Feast for the Eyes explores this most ordinary of subjects through three dynamic themes. “Still Life” looks at the enduring artistic tradition first taken from painting, examining how photographers have followed, borrowed from, or subverted the still life genre over time. The images in “Around the Table” focus on the ritual and sense of belonging that takes place when food is shared, as well as the values and cultural identities they reflect. From farcical food fights to haute cuisine, “Playing With Food” explores how food has been a site for humor and play. In addition to the photographs, a wide-ranging display of cookbooks provides their own visual history in context with the framed works. Feast for the Eyes brings together a number of well-known artists, including Irving Penn, Stephen Shore, Cindy Sherman, Nobuyoshi Araki, Paul Strand, and Martin Parr, among others.