Showcasing a modern visual representation of food and art at the Shelburne Museum
“Sweet Tooth: The Art of Dessert” is the latest featured exhibition of the 60-year old Shelburne Museum. On view from September 23, 2017, to February 18, 2018, in the Pizzagalli Center, this art exhibition showcases the modern visual representation of sugar, food, and art in the American culture.
The Shelburne Museum’s history is rooted in sugar
Henry Osborne Havemeyer was known to be a leader in the sugar refining industry of America and was even crowned as “Sugar King” in the late 19th century. His daughter Electra was the founder of the Shelburne Museum. Although Tom Denenberg pointed out that “museums don’t grow on trees”, the Shelburne Museum did indirectly thrive on sugar canes.
Artists who contributed to the art exhibition
“Sweet Tooth: The Art of Dessert” consists of the artworks of 7 Vermont artists (Wendy James, Eden Markowski, Tyler Vendituoli, Mary Zompetti, Kat Clear, Steve Hadeka, and Leslie Fry) and 12 contemporary artists (Margaret Morrison, Desire Obtain Cherish, Peter Anton, Kay Kurt, Ivan Alifan, Marion Luttenberger, Dirk Stachke, Michael Massaia, Christopher Boffoli / Big Appetites, Paul Rousso, Chris Campbell / The Shoe Bakery, Elizabeth Berdann, Emily McCracken) from the country and Europe. These displays contain mixed themes of dessert and tasty confections that reflect America’s “insatiable desire for sweets”, basic human desires and facts about history and culture.
Displaying edible art at the Shelburne Museum
Kory Rogers, the head curator of the museum says, “Sugar is a complicated and loaded subject. Candy and desserts have the power to take you back to your childhood. We didn’t want to do a show that was just a bummer. You can walk in and just see poppy, fun art, but if you read the labels, you’ll see that it’s a bit more nuanced.” He further adds that “it’s the first time we’ve ever had edible art on display”.
While pop artist Kay Kurt shares an oil painting of liquorice with Paul Rousso’s crumpled, vintage candy wrapper sculpture, Emily McCracken has two intricate chocolate sculptures showcased in this exhibition. The museum is also laden with other food-related artworks, including “real shoes with heels layered like lemon meringue pie and massive, three-dimensional lollipops”
Representing art in various dimensions
Despite being a real feast for the eyes, Sweet Tooth implies deeper and complex contextual meanings underneath enticing edible art, paintings, sculptures, and ceramics. The installation includes works of art represented in various mediums ranging from miniature to life-sized masterpieces. For assistant curator Carolyn Bauer, they have”cast a broad net. We wanted to represent art in all dimensions and materials — high art, low art, and fashion”.
Artworks that imply deeper and complex social issues
Each contributor was asked to create something that represents America’s insatiable appetite for sweets and desserts. For instance, Eben Markowski’s artwork features a frosted cake with liver tissues that were destroyed by sugar-related diseases. Mary Zompetti’s “Worker Bee Sugar Cubes” explored the cases of dead bees due to pesticide application. She states that her piece “comments on what is often not discussed as we enjoy the seductive pleasures of refined sugar at our tables”.
h/t: Seven Days VT
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