Sometimes I’m able to look at a piece of art and I’ll instantly know what I like about it and why it makes me feel happy or sad or both. When I first saw Pamela Michelle Johnson’s food paintings, I was immediately hit with an overwhelming feeling of sadness. The pieces are somewhat upsetting to look at, and, at first, it was hard for me to really pinpoint why pictures of Oreos and Pop Tarts were upsetting me. There is real melancholy aspect to her work, a loneliness. These are painting of sweets, without any of the sweetness. Perhaps Pamela can explain it best.
From Pamela: Whether it is gluttonous quantities of larger than life junk food or the solitary empty wrapper, abandoned soon after devouring was complete, the images are charged with social relevance. The work flaunts our culture back at us. It questions embracing a culture of complete and instant gratification while ignoring the consequences of our indulgences. The work questions many of our cultural ideals and social norms. These are the pictures of our insatiable appetites; they are the pictures of the consequences. You can see more of Pamela's work below. You can also check out additional paintings via her website, right here. ~Erin
3 comments:
Those last few give me the impression of 'crime scenes'... which, could be closer to the truth for some!
Yes! Good point! They are very reminiscent of crime scene photos.
These paintings are very, very inspiring and quite thought-provoking. Honestly, what HAS become of our sensibility? I personally know all too well the consequences of the instant gratification and how dangerous it can be.
I hope that we'll some day come to our senses again! Until then, thank you for sharing these otherwise lovely paintings!
Post a Comment