This has popped up amongst the art scene recently and for good reason.
Late January 2015, Brisbane born artist CJ Hendry decided to undertake a remarkable challenge. As the name of this article suggests, she drew 50 different foods across 50 days. Every 24 hours, CJ posted a black pen photorealistic drawing to her Instagram.
CJ began her art career while enrolled in university. Having nothing left to lose, she made a decision to drop out, quit her job and for one year, draw full time. If nothing was sold in that time, she’d re-enrol and go back to the life she was living. Dropping university was clearly for the best as she now has a piece hanging in Kayne West‘s house.
Each post features an individual item of food, from asparagus to pizza and everything in between. The food rests on an ornamental French plate, against a white backdrop and contains remarkable detail. The highlights and shading help to produce such realism, making these works just that little bit better.
When I first came across this series, I couldn’t believe that each work was completed in 24 hours (in fact less, considering that humans do sleep and eat). Apparently 48 works have already been sold and I’m not at all surprised… there’s just so much detail in each piece.
The idea for this series come from the question “if you were a death-row prisoner, what would your final meal be?”, resulting in CJ being confined in a room for 50 days straight. The series is apart of her current exhibition in Melbourne, at 166 Gertrude St.
What is interesting about these works is that there’s something for everyone to relate to. Whether it be the first time you ate pizza, spat out asparagus or ate one too many m&m’s. I’d recommend if you’re considering checking out the exhibition, filling up on a meal first is probably a grand idea. The space is like a buffet of foods, and will no doubt make you hungry.
※ Liam Barr