The Vegetarian Art Show (NYC)
pteisler
Well, if you allowed them, the artists of this cutting edge show most
poetically would have given you some answers. And surely after you
gazed upon the many beautiful pieces of art at The Sunnen Gallery where
the show took place from May 5 to the 25th, and, after you read the many
passionate statements from the artists, you would have found the logic
of it all to be most clear.
From over nearly 3 dozen applicants, who each painstakingly sent
slides, newspaper stories and professional histories, the show was
eventually whittled down to 16 artists who put vegetarian art on display
for hundreds to see at the Lower Manhattan gallery.
Alas, the opening of The Vegetarian Art Show on May 5 brought
vegetarians out of the woodwork. It became a place of many reunions
creating, for just a little while a mini critical mass of gentleness.
Listening to avid vegetarian and musical instrument inventor Leon
Gruenbaum bringing the curious sounds of his patented Samchillian Tip
Tip Tip Chee Pee (basically a computer, qwerty keyboard and all) to the
sidewalk outside the show, one was likely to think that this was an
event which was indeed ahead of its time. And it was.
*I think it*s a new perspective in art, definitely. There*s been
many new things with art galleries, but this one takes the cake, the
veggie cake,* said John King upon exiting the show. David Albef said
he was a little bit less hungry than when he walked in because he had
eaten part of Gabriel Grayson*s piece which was edible! Veggie cake?
Ah, but yes!
A number of people at the opening agreed that this show marked the
beginning of a new era, and that soon, very soon, vegetarianism would
become commonplace. A good number of people who gave their immediate
comments about the show renewed their commitment to vegetarianism
Christine Butler said, *Actually, after seeing parts of the show,
it*s put me over the edge and I will probably never eat meat again.*
Michael Buttrell, upon exiting from the show at the opening said,
*From my perspective as a vegan and an artist I thought the show to be
re-affirming.*
Jeff Mendelsohn said, *I*ve never seen a theme for an art show based
on vegetarianism. Everyone is looking for an ideal that is really not
here in the real world. It*s not in this world, but it*s in that room,*
he said pointing through the doorway of the show at the opening.
The show was a political statement without a doubt, but some of the
art was truly exquisite. Jean Thaler of Big Apple Vegetarians
exclaimed, *I*ve been very pleasantly surprised. The art is great. It
doesn*t just have a message, it*s actually very good art.*
*Radical Vegetarianism* author Mark Braunstein, however, commented
that there was *not enough meat,* at the show. *It*s more about
vegetables,* he said, *than it is about carnivorism; and I think that
vegetarianism in the context of an art show should really be more about
carnivorism.*
Though much of the art came from a pro-vegetable rather than an
anti-meat perspective, there was, actually, a fair amount of gore as
well as a reality check here and there too if you looked closely.
Pro-vegetable for sure was Irene Fiedel*s submission depicting a
luscious still life of tubers and greens. Her statement was an
outpouring of love for growing things wherever they may be. *From a
block away, the produce is reduced to its simplest elements: bold
colors, in varying shapes and sizes. Up close, the inspiration to
express my personal vision in paint is an immediate response. At times
there is a strong desire to whip out a brush and capture the produce at
the market before me.*
One of the most beautiful, as well as poignant paintings was the one
by Josh Dorman. His *Before the Twister* was difficult to walk away
from once you stood before it. The colors, the composition, and the
bits of painted burlap exuded the necessary earthiness for the full
experience. But more than this, the piece surely represents an idyllic
image for vegetarians in particular -- with deep political implications.
His glorious image of a farm (or, more accurately, a large garden) full
of various edible plants neatly planted in rows, belies today*s horrible
reality of miles and miles of grain crops, planted this way necessarily
to feed animals to eaten. Further significance of the painting came
from the fact that this depiction of a farm was plopped in the middle of
what appeared to be miles of hillside. Causing almost no intrusion upon
the living things surrounding it, this farm integrated itself with its
environment. This is a farm which could only be a reality in a
vegetarian world.
On the darker side was Werner Brenner*s *Slaughtered Pig,* a Christ
figure like abstract in bold strokes of orange, green and red, with
little mounds of swirled slathered paint along the abdominal vertical
slash. Warner*s statement showed the sympathy that all vegetarians feel
for other living, breathing beings. *Pigs have no opportunity to
consent, because no one ever asks them. The farmer, the slaughterer,
the butcher, the waiter, the cook, the eater all conspire to splatter
every apron with bacon and to fill every fork with pork.*
Also very powerful and *anti-meat* was local painter Linda Dempsy*s
exhibit. Set before a mural of bucolic images of cows on an old
fashioned farm, Linda set a picnic table covered with plates upon which
were plastic models of steak and chicken. On a platform nearby was a
VCR which repeatedly played graphic videos of slaughter and meat
processing plants. Also on the platform were glasses filled up with
colored liquid. The glasses were labeled with the names of the deadly
chemicals and drugs found today in commercial meats.
*The videotapes are very depressing,* commented Neal Teeman about
Linda*s exhibits at the opening. *It*s too bad more people can*t see
footage like this; they might think twice about sitting down and having
some chicken wings.*
Pamela Teisler-Rice was the curator for the Vegetarian Art Show, along
with gallery owner Dr. Gerard Sunnen. Ms. Teisler-Rice is also the head
of The VivaVegie Society here in New York City.
Chuck Narad
In article <3rq9ds$e...@loki.novalink.com>, pteisler <@ma...@novalink.com> writes:
>
I was sort of with you until I encountered this bit:
> But more than this, the piece surely represents an idyllic
> image for vegetarians in particular -- with deep political implications.
> His glorious image of a farm (or, more accurately, a large garden) full
> of various edible plants neatly planted in rows, belies today*s horrible
> reality of miles and miles of grain crops, planted this way necessarily
> to feed animals to eaten. Further significance of the painting came
> from the fact that this depiction of a farm was plopped in the middle of
> what appeared to be miles of hillside. Causing almost no intrusion upon
> the living things surrounding it, this farm integrated itself with its
> environment. This is a farm which could only be a reality in a
> vegetarian world.
The reality gap in the above is the disneyesque view that human
vegetarians, especially if veg*ism becomes mainstream, will be
fed from small, hand-tended gardens, and that large-scale
agriculture exists only to feed to food animals. Go drive
across the US, check out the miles and miles of wheat; do you
think that is going to feed cattle? cruise the central valley
in california, miles and miles of broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, peppers,
and tomatoes; is that going into beef and chicken production? How
about those square-mile strawberry farms and artichoke "ranches"
in monterey county? or the millions of acres of oranges in florida,
or of apples in washington and california; goat feed or human feed?
Granted that significant parts of the corn and soy crops in the US
go into feed grains, but that does not indicate that all of agriculture
is so geared. (you may be surprised to learn that a huge amount of
the corn crop is actually going into corn sweetener and fuel acohol,
by the way.)
idyllic, utopian, and glorious views are all well and good,
but let's not confuse an artist's vision with the Real World (TM).
chuck/
a vegetarian who has few illusions about where his food comes from.
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| Chuck Narad -- diver/adventurer/engineer |
| |
| "The universe is full of magical things, patiently |
| waiting for our wits to grow sharper." |
| |
| -- Eden Phillpotts |
| |
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john anderson mcgraw
Here's a question: while the art may be vegetarian themed and painted by
vegetarians, is the art itself vegetarian? I ask this:
Is one of the colors used Ivory black of Bone black? It is made from
charred bone. Is Sepia used? Made from the inksacs of the cuttlefish. How
about India ink? Contains shellac, made from insects.
Is the paper sized? often gelatin is used. Is the canvas sized with
gesso, rather than acrylic 'gesso'? true gesso contains hide glue.
And let's not even think about the brushes used: hog, camel, pony,
badger and sable hair.
Just wondering, what are your opinions? Any Vegan artists out there?
Rebecca "working at the art store" McGraw
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"Thought: Why does man kill? He kills for food. And not only food:
frequently there must be a beverage."
--Woody Allen