amiria [artist]

FAT PAINTING

This series explores issues relating to obesity: food / non-food; endless gaping hunger; the bottomless pit of more; addiction; sugar; mass consumption and the seesaw from fat to thin.



The first three works above fall under the ‘food’ category. Food, in this case, is taken as unprocessed, natural, whole foods, such as those humans have been eating for hundreds of years. The paintings remind us what food really is (i.e. that which nourishes us); illustrate the variety of whole foods available (refuting the idea that consumption of whole foods implies restriction and limitation); draw attention to flavoursome, visually appealing heritage varieties which are not available at most supermarkets; and aim to encourage an appreciation of natural foods.



The fourth and fifth painting illustrate ‘non-foods’, being food that has been processed to the extent that nutritional content is removed and calorie concentration increased. Non-foods appeal to our taste-buds, because of their ease of swallow and lack of chew, as well as, of course, the inclusion of sweeteners, preservatives and flavourings, but do not provide the nutrition that our bodies are hungry for. These paintings endeavour to illustrate the artificial, glossy, nature of the products in such a way that their seductive quality is less certain. They suggest that the perceived variety of edible substances available in modern supermarkets is an illusion, and that most products are just flour, sugar, fat, colours and flavourings that have been mixed together in different ways.