From pleasure to "Sausage II»

[Тютчев]

from enjoying a "Sausage II»

«delight for the eye" in Vienna Kunstforum shows: artists have always managed to still lifes with food

Alex Mokrousov
For Gazette

13/05/2010, 85 (2603)

Exhibition "Pleasure for the eyes. About food in still life "in Vienna Kunstforum covers five centuries of European art. On it you can learn not only the idea of food and drinks, their greatness and dictatorial in relation to a person functions, but also the social history of art, its creators and its customers.

Here the Dutch XVII century.: Rich look all! And those who want to have a beautiful picture, reminiscent of his own well-being and prosperity, and those who seek to capture this short-lived joy of life as can be effectively. Silver goblets sparkle, like the deck of the cruiser before the visit of Commander in Chief, if the porcelain - some of Delft, lemon rind notched to sparkling juice, grapes, without waiting for the abrasion, the light itself from the inside - just not bothered. In fish, waiting to fry, languorous expression in his eyes, red wine is reflected in an inexplicable way a candle flame, devoid of any politeness fly bites into a lush bread - Dutch bourgeoisie could not think of a better metaphor, and the best monument to his own prosperity than this food paradise, imprinted Clara Peeters and Cornelis de Hemom with rage gourmet-neophytes.

Two centuries after flowering Dutch hyperrealism Austrian Biedermeier in the face of Ferdinand George Waldmüller try to reproduce this luxury. But, like every repetition, the new replica will be relieved of the original, former rablezianstvo disappear without a trace under the pressure of the century of new speeds and new principles. What age will end, reminiscent of two paintings by Van Gogh from the museum in Utrecht: a bottle of wine next to the wooden shoes, green pears unappetizing species ... Poverty artists affects the quality of products selected for the role model, and the former desire to imitate nature, surpassing the ordinary human eye to fidelity parts, giving way to a perspective on the apples and meat. With Cezanne still life with food becomes the main driving force of modernity, art by Georges Braque, Juan Gris and Pablo Picasso make this trend irreversible. Symbolist content items, design a reality, and then its ruthless deconstruction - in the twentieth century. mind games are screwed into the world of still life with the inevitability of a spin, discovered the cork in the neck. The apotheosis of this can be considered of video, Sam Taylor-Wood A Little Death ", where accelerated playback, four minutes, is shown as a rabbit carcass decomposes under the influence of time. Composition of carcass and peach is built perfectly, color scheme, like the classics, but the process of decomposition is confronted with the usual content of still life - and thereby gives it new life.

"Sausage II» Damien Hirst and "Steak" by Felix Vallotton bring a little optimism in the meat section of the exhibition, inevitably reminiscent of the inextricable link carnivore and his victim. But vegetarianism as a response to what they saw is not mandatory for the audience reaction. In the end, the catalog is full not only of scientific descriptions, but also exciting recipes, and theme memento mori (remember death) manifested in the deli still lifes, at least in Vanitas, which together with food depicted a skull.

The rate at which food and drink is essential for the survival of becoming a cult object that defines the status of consumer recalls, as a conditional boundary between the primary need and the refined pleasure. Not for nothing, and become the master chef from today in a media star: He says more than preparing and cooking shows create the effect of availability of good cooking, vita dolce, in every home. But who, in fact, insists that the border between need and pleasure really exists? Oh definitely not art.

Until May 30

http://www.vedomosti.ru/newspaper/ar...0/05/13/234057