Feed My Memory

After a year of not really knowing what to do in Art School and wondering if I should even be on the course at all, I finally found my way. I simplified things and decided to do what I love and just paint. And not give in the the pressure to come up with something crazy and new. I'm happy doing just a plain old painting but then came the decision of what to actually paint... After talking to a lot of people I thought to combine my two loves in life painting and, of course, food.

"In many cases the taste or smell of a sweet, a cake, or an entire meal is capable of painting a picture with richer, deeper brushstrokes than any snapshot in their photo album" 


this thought provoking statement comes from food writer Nigel Slater. Slater has been a great source of inspiration for me, in particular his stunning memoir, Toast: A Story of a Boy's Hunger. It is a beautiful piece of writing that describes his life through his memories of of food. It is true that the taste, smell and sight of certain food can trigger deep memories from your past. It is amazing how something so simple as food can transport you back to an event with such clarity. I also find it fascinating thats the same food can conjure up different memories to people. Our lives are full of emotion and food in particular can unlock deep memories and experiences from the past. 


I decided to find out peoples' personal memories connected with certain foods and turn them into black and white paintings. The black and white representing the idea of memories lost.

I got some amazing responses, some of which I turned into paintings. 

From:	Gordon Robertson		Monday - November 15, 2010 2:45 PM
To:	Emily Inns
Subject:

food memories

Hi.

Thick lumpy custard.

As a schoolboy in the 1960s, to avoid the horrors of school dinners, I cycled a few miles home for lunch.
My father also came home from work for lunch. We would often have soup, main course and dessert.
Dessert was invariably custard. Runny custard I did not have a problem with, but my father's preference
was for a consistency you could cut with a knife. I subsequently struggled to cycle back to school.

As a result, to this day, I loathe thick, lumpy custard . . .


Gordon


ps on the other hand, my mother's mice and tatties were to die for!

                           

My Final Display in 3rd Year

A bit of colour made it there too!

"It is true to say that memory triggers are as varied as the lives of those who seek to evoke them" Nigel Slater

Many of the memories that I received from people were to do with negative experiences for example certain sweets were associated with going to the dentist, Heinz tomato soup came up a lot too and my own bad food experience of being forced to eat pilchards as my Grandma thought it was tuna has put me off tuna for life!

What're your food memories?

Em.