Toppings addresses
themes of growth, birth, nourishment, and desire by combining traditional ice
cream toppings such as chocolate syrup, sprinkles, and whipped cream with white
chocolate casts of women’s breasts. During the development of Toppings, I found inspiration in Jessica Stoller’s clever use of the feminine and grotesque body. Specifically in her Spoil exhibition, Stoller provides careful consideration to the formal qualities of the delicate and the crass. Her portrayal of the female body in conjunction with that of a gluttonous feast forces viewers to find distinction between ideals of femininity and the female form. Additionally, I took inspiration from Libby Rowe’s attitude towards feminism in art, Janine Antoni’s combined use of food and the female body, and Lauren
Kalman’s juxtaposition of beautiful and ugly.
In the
construction process, skin-safe alginate was molded around a variety of
breasts. These alginate molds were then filled with plaster, which became casts
for silicone molds. Finally, melted white chocolate was poured into the
silicone molds and hardened into the original shape of the breasts. They were
then placed on stainless steel trays reminiscent of both medical and culinary
settings. The breasts displayed on trays allow us examine the objectification
of women’s bodies. In addition, the variety of sizes and shapes of the breasts simulates the selection process in an ice cream shop.
The choice of topping these breasts with those ingredients
fit for a sundae bring to mind childhood and innocence, while simultaneously
commenting on consumption and sexual desire in adulthood. This
binary is reiterated in the transformation that occurs when working with the ephemerality of edible ingredients. Over time, Toppings will drip, melt, and change
shape, paralleling our developing attitudes towards female bodies and indulgent
food.
