I started out my brainstorming for my exhibit by thinking about what is going on around me at the current moment. By thinking of what I feel right now and what I see I got a clear view of what I wanted to focus on. Thanksgiving just passed, Christmas is coming just around the corner. People always say how easy it is to put on weight during the holidays because of all of the treats and meals and desserts being shared. It is quite ironic that even on a day where we are supposed to be giving thanks for what we have, people make it a point to over-consume. We get as stuffed as the turkey we cook and then move on to the next holiday wanting more. Gluttony/Greed is one of the 7 deadly sins, meaning it is a sin to take more than you need, to become gluttonous and greedy is not a good quality, yet it has taken over society now to the point where the more people have, the more they want to show that off and gloat at the idea. Being obese has become such a widespread problem because nobody seems to have control anymore. The title of my exhibit is going to be "HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO". The actual meaning of the original quote, "You cant have your cake and eat it too" is that you can not simultaneously have your cake and eat it as well, because once you eat it, it is gone. In this exhibit, my goal is to pull in the idea that people no longer understand that, they think "It's my cake, and I want it all!" and then some.
I began my search for works of art by exploring painting of cake, which Wayne Theibaud has many. I chose the one that I feel best describes my them to be the star of the show. This painting is an entire white frosted cake, topped with a strawberry, surrounded by 8 plates, which each have as slice of this same cake on them. This perfectly pulls my theme into the exhibit. There is your cake, and you can eat it too, without taking a single cut out of the cake itself.
I continued to search for paintings and other works of art that display an enormous amount of foods that can easily be seen as too much. I also included Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup Cans, because when I look at this, I see too much. There is 32 cans of soup, in all the varieties available, taking up quite a bit of space of a wall to be displayed. It may seem as though this piece doesn't quite fit in my exhibit, but when you look at it how I am, it should make sense to you. It has to do with the idea that one can of soup should be enough, but here we have 32, much more than any one person needs.
I end my exhibit with paintings and panels of art showing people experiencing gluttony first hand, rather than looking at the food alone, it is helpful to see the act of overindulging and what it causes.
I would put all of these pieces together in room with dark grey walls, and dim spot lighting shining on each piece so that they stand out within a dark space. The darkness comes from the idea of sin and greed. Red would be an accent color, for the title of the exhibit and some other minor details. Red representing death and negativity, which is a direct result of gluttony in food.
My hopes with this exhibit is to help people understand that you only need so much. There is no need to over-do it and be a glutton. If you have more than you need, give to those in need and you will be returned with the gift of a healthier, happier life that is much more fulfilling rather than simply overfilling.
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