November 13 – December 14, 2023

 

Reception: Thursday, November 16, 4 – 7 pm, Art Gallery FA 103

Free Parking in Lot # 1. Park in STAFF spaces ONLY.

 

Participating Artists: Jenny Armer - Orysya Barua - Beate Bermann-Enn - Liliana Cruz - Crystal Daigle - Cole Douglas - Rachel Droessler - Philip Dunn - Dianna Elizardo - Shannon English - Gaby Espina - Katie Flores – Diana Fuentes - Adele Gaburo - Sora Gallagher - Christine Galuppo - Juliet Gentry - Justin Hammond - Terri Hughes-Oelrich - Hannah Johansen - Aleya Lanteigne - Gaby López - Socrates M. Medina - Kathleen Mitchell - Chrisanne Moats - Lydia Niebla - Chrissa OBrien - Christopher Padilla - Amertah Perman - Gabriela Ponce Curlango - Lulu Yueming Qu - Barbara Rabkin - Jenny Rubottom - Katie Ruiz - Maggie Shen - Charlie Spadone - Cheryl Tall - Ana Valdeolivar - Montserrat Ventura - Cindy Zimmerman

 

 

 

San Diego Mesa College Art Gallery invites the community to gather for the exhibition Cosecha: An Exhibition About Food. Cosecha (a Spanish word meaning “harvest”) is a multimedia group show that serves up a visual harvest drawing on the various meanings of the central theme. In the gallery several narratives are braided together: food as a symbol of both individual taste and communal joy, food as performance and indulgence of the senses, or food as abject and monstrous. Featuring 40 artists, each artwork is presented as a delicacy on a party platter where each artist brings a piece of their heart to the potluck. There will be food related performances on the evening of the reception, Thursday, November 16, 4 - 7 pm.

 

Both the art and curation of Cosecha demonstrate the collective vision of the Museum Studies class. Together, students designed the call for art flier, juried the art submissions, wrote the press release and also contributed to the physical installation of the show. Appetites, by Amertah Perman, illustrates the wide spectrum of cravings for a specific food; colorful stomachs made from a variety of fabrics and textures hang as a whimsical reminder of our quirks and personal preferences. EGGIES, by Cole Douglass, captures a similar joyfulness in a large canvas of white and yellow scrape-painted eggs which pop brilliantly against a black background. Each iteration reminds us of the variety of ways people like their eggs and there is playfulness in abstracting something so familiar. Liliana Cruz uses stoneware and ceramics in her piece Huitlacoches that depicts a type of fungus that grows on varieties of corn in Mexico. This mushroom is also used in many recipes and considered a delicacy in Mexican cuisine. Cruz highlights the importance of maize as a both source of food as well as cultural identity.

 

Taking up the center of the gallery is Maggie Shen’s installation _____SCAPE (#foodlandscape) which immerses you in the diverse cultural and culinary tapestry of San Diego. Her innovative approach blends performance, edible sculptures and augmented reality, offering a profound magnifying glass on the city’s topographic regions. The installation resembles a laboratory where the artist recreates regional landscapes with ceramics and fills them with delicate, abstract finger foods. The abstraction is intentional, as it changes the way we experience taste without the preconceived biases we hold to food. Shen conveys the isolating experience of moving from her home in Taiwan, traveling to Europe, and finding a home in San Diego. She expresses the intimate process of learning about a place and its people through its food, bringing a memorable experience to the exhibit.

 

Cul De Sac, by Cheryl Tall, bridges individual experience with communal joy in a dyptich painting of a block-party where neighbors bring a taste of their homes and cultures to share around a grill. Meanwhile, layers of acrylic sheets are printed with graphics of food in Gaby Espina’s How to Make Paksiw. This piece resonates with the shared spirit of food by mirroring the intricate steps of the dish creation. Espina reveals the multitude of hands that contribute to a single dish, a theme that makes us ponder on the current global climate where connection and unity are more crucial than ever. Orysya Barua is a Ukrainian artist who dedicated her powerful watercolor Forbidden Fruit to the struggles of her people. Ukraininan prisoners were given apples when liberated. The older woman holds the fruit in her hands to symbolize hope and freedom.

 

On the more macabre end of the show’s spectrum is Canned Meat, by Adele Gaburo, which depicts manicured fingers soaking in an aluminum tin filled with resin brine as though they were sardines. This work invites retrospection into our choices and consumption patterns. Her stunning craftsmanship lays bare the intricate details of the piece while challenging viewers to consider the origins of their food. In a world where the importance of mindful consumption is paramount, Gaburo’s work is particularly relevant, reminding us of our responsibility in the food ecosystem.

 

Cosecha seeks to engage with food in a wide range of mediums and interpretations. The exhibition also includes short films and performance, all showing how art and food can converge to express human creativity, emotions, and preoccupations. Each artist brings to the table their particular understanding of food as they touch the magic found in the universality of the specific. Come to the reception to nourish all your senses.