Exercise #2 – Delicious Paint
I consider the process of making paint out of food to be the spine of my creative output. That is, it is a fundamental part of what I do and acts as a source – a returning point should a particular artistic endeavour fail.
The very notion of creating paint out of food interests me for several reasons. There is a certain juxtaposition to be found in the complex processes found within making paint and the purity of the end product. Indeed, I would suggest that paint, when produced manually, contains as much artistic merit as paint applied to a surface.
The fact that it is made from food, however, is of the greatest interest. The very notion of food contains within it a vast array of social, political, environmental and religious implications. And individual foodstuff contains implications of its own. This means the paint is forever charged with such notions, even when applied to a surface and used to represent objects and concepts far removed from its own.
Identity is another issue of interest when considering these paints. I believe that there is a certain evasive quality these paints possess which can manipulate subject matter and intent. For example, if I use paint made out of apples to depict a pear. What has actually been painted? Apples or pears? Such theoretical questions are something I wish to exploit in order to further my artistic practice.
