Through famous American art depicting food-centric images like Edward Hopper's Nighthawks and Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans, North Texas patrons will have a chance to explore food as a cultural symbol and vehicle for U.S. history.
"The exhibition offers a sumptuous spread of the evolution of America's relationship to food and its role in the evolution of American art," deputy director of art and research Margi Conrads said.
The art will take patrons on an ideological tour of food starting with the newly established U.S. and its cultural, political and social values, antebellum opulence, and into WWII austerity. Then patrons will see how food changed with the advent of TV and postwar technological advances as seen in depictions of fast food, cafés and TV dinners. Conrads uses Edward Hopper's Nighthawks painted during WWII as an example.
"There were blackouts. Everything is dark except the light in the soda shop. People are sitting there, but nobody actually interacts with anyone. There isn't any food visible either," Conrads said.
Food defines us individually too. The exhibit may challenge you to look into your personal relationship with food-whether it be love or hate or both, we all have one.
"Food tells lots of stories about our lives and our history. Food wraps its arms around our entire experience," Conrads said. As art should, she hopes the exhibit sparks conversation about food in North Texas, trends in diet, and big picture issues like politics and society, and personal reflection.
Organized by the Art Institute of Chicago, the show pulls together 65 paintings from the 18th to 20th centuries and is chronologically organized. The exhibit is free and runs until May 18. Free guided tours of this exhibit begin at 3:30 p.m. every Thursday-Sunday.
