SMORGASBORD

 

Corn Ribs from FAM.

Honestly, doesn't this picture tell the story?

How better to begin an adventure than to enjoy a smorgasbord of delectable foods from the Restaurant 39 at the First American Museum in OKC. Without giving thought to calories we ordered two appetizers. “Corn Ribs” my favorite because of the texture and unique flavors, and skillet cornbread. Once again presentation and fresh spices make this extraordinary. The cornbread disappeared while I ate the extra corn ribs.  

The four amiche, traveling adventuresses, completed our meal with individual servings of turkey sandwich / grilled garlic potatoes, salad with every color of green, veggie bowl of circus colors with unidentified flavors, and rich creamy corn chowder. We forgot to save room for Popcorn Crème Brulé, but it only took one glance by each of us to realize that we could devour this delectable dessert, full or not. Closing our eyes and smiling like we tasted heaven the dessert added very few calories to our day since we split it four ways. (Yes, we tasted the popcorn.)

Susan Allgood, Letty Watt, Leah Jackson, Rowena Shuma at the
Oklahoma Contemporary Art Center

 On this wintery March day the cold winds blew us inside for another "Smorgasbord of Foods" of the one dimensional kind. 

Leah studying the work of Kathrine Ace, with Warhol is shown to the right. 

The reviewers for The Art of Food exhibit were correct. The museum show delighted our senses. 

These two paintings by Kathrine Ace, which attracted my imagination are created by collaging, scraping, and spattering the surface of her paintings in an almost sculptural way. The artist uses a mass of newspapers, fruit, and flowers strewn upon a painterly surface from which the palimpsests of old master paintings peek through. (The museum curator used one of my favorite words, palimpsest, which I first learned from Louise Penney's character Gamache and his wife, Reine-Marie, who is an archivist librarian in Quebec City, when they described how a message was written over an authentic manuscript that could solve the case.)

The Works of Kathrine Ace

My mind wonders when art and language come together, more so because I often don't have words to describe what my eyes see; my taste buds and smell desire; or my hand wants to touch. Perhaps that is why Warhol never appealed to me. What is there to sense in his flat work? 

 

The commotion and fishy characters in this art by WARRINGTON COLESCOTT left me desiring a whiff and salty taste of fresh ocean foods. (Look for me at the Lobster food truck in OKC soon.)

"Fish Eaters" is a depiction of historical events, contemporary political, and social climate with unique sometimes humorous interpretations. The description goes on to say that the artist is paying homage to his love of seafood while living in the Pacific Northwest by amusingly showcasing a variety of marine and human life indulging in fish delicacies.  Warrington Colescott

I wonder first what I am seeing or feeling before reading the descriptions. More often I find that I am not seeing everything the artist intended, but I do see enough to remember the moment or not. 

The contemporary show is based the idea that the visual attraction to foods is universal. Evolution, it says suggests that we enjoy looking at food because the brain anticipates the physical satisfaction derived from eating. So why not close with a dessert of 18th century delights like sugared figurines.

2014 Chris Antemann, is known for her parodies of 18th century

porcelain figurines and dining culture. 

Chris Antemann