“ALL CONSUMING” AT THE NORTON SIMON MUSEUM

Here’s how this week’s arts and culture column begins:

“All Consuming: Art and the Essence of Food,” a current exhibit at Pasadena’s Norton Simon Museum, features 60 paintings, prints, photographs, and sculptures spanning the years 1500-1900. How did artists during those four centuries respond to and shape food cultures?

In the first two galleries, food-based art is addressed through the themes of “Hunger,” “Excess,” and “Sustenance.” “Hunger” explores various facets of food deprivation. “Excess” features opulence and eroticism around food. “Sustenance” regards food through the lens of agricultural landscapes, labor, and commerce.

The idea is to present actions and dynamics that give food profound social meaning.

READ THE WHOLE PIECE HERE.