Toppings

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.