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A Visual Feast 

Two artists and a chef

Ruth Levine, Juliet Holmes a Court and Chef James Viles of Biota

Sustenance 01 (large), 02 (medium), 03 (gold), 04 (gold), 05 (small)

Having James Viles’ (Biota) plated dish, ’Norm’s potatoes, onions and cheese’ as my culinary muse, set me on the path to explore the colours and textures of this visual feast.

The Sustenance collection, transforms the ordinariness of the working man’s potatoes + onions, into nuggets of gold, russet, and deep purple, precious chalices  of royal sustenance. 

Similarly to the edible ingredients, the materials used to shape the 5 vessel

set of Sustenance, recycled paper and workman’s fabric forge the alchemy of mediums into

valued sculptures 

05 Sustenance (1-5).JPG
10 Beneath the pines 01.JPG
10 beneath the pines 02.JPG

Beneath the Pines    02

Having James Viles’ (Biota) plated dish, ’Pine mushrooms from the forest, confit leek, rape

 juices and Pecora  Dairy yoghurt’ as my culinary muse, set me on the path to explore the

colours and textures of this visual feast.

I explored the dish by distilling the hero ingredient, the pine mushroom.

The beauty of this wild ingredient, the lineal textures, the random surface pattern, the

curvaceous forms and  rich complimentary  robust  tones.

It is a visual representation of Autumn, Winter, wood fires, pine forest and a glass of a full

bodied red. My vessels are pine mushroom –esque.

Beneath the pines 02, explores the lineal mushroom textures through black sewn lines over rice paper soaked in steeped recycled tea.

Beneath the Pines    03

Having James Viles’ (Biota) plated dish, ’Pine mushrooms from the forest, confit leek,

rape juices and Pecora  Dairy yoghurt’ as my culinary muse, set me on the path to  explore the colours and textures of this visual feast.

I explored the dish by distilling the hero ingredient, the pine mushroom.

The beauty of this wild ingredient, the lineal textures, the random surface pattern, the curvaceous forms and rich complimentary  robust tones.

It is a visual representation of Autumn, Winter, wood fires, pine forest and a glass of a full-bodied red. 

My vessels are pine mushroom -esque.


Beneath the pines 03, explores the lineal mushroom textures through black sewn lines

 over rice paper soaked in steeped recycled tea.

10 Beneath the pines 03.JPG
11 Medium totem.JPG

Medium Totem

Having James Viles’ (Biota) plated dish, ’ River bed sorrel, eucalyptus and frozen goats milk’’ as my culinary muse, set me on the path to explore the colours and textures of this visual feast.

The horizontal, totem like form of this dish struck me as the inspiration for this vertical vessel.

The combination of contrasting elements, from the concrete textured plate interpreted as the recycled shredded recycled  paper shell, juxtaposed against the silk tea-dipped cinnamon casing,

bound together by the ‘cherry blossom’ string.

A visual dish of delectable contrasts

Verde Mini Totems

 

Inspired by the James Viles’ (Biota) plated dish, Cabbage, new asparagus and warm

nut milk, I have expressed the gathered ingredients in the form of Verde- mini totems.

The textures of charred asparagus in form and colour and the fluidity of the warm nut milk,

wrap, around the repurposed concrete, interpreted through fabric , texture and paper.

 

01 Verde- mini totems (mini totems).JPG
09 Standing cherry 01.JPG

Standing Cherry   01

 

Having James Viles’ (Biota) plated dish, ’Cherries, soured cream, buckwheat  andliquorice’ as my culinary muse, set me on the path to explore the colours and textures  of this visual feast.

I looked at the image of the horizontal plated dish and visualised   it as a vertical plate.

The ceramic plate being interpreted as a gathered element of shredded and recycled archived paper, the plated culinary elements becoming applied elements: the scoop of cherry sorbet creating the negative shape on the left and right hand sides of the ‘plate’,

the central area representing pitted cherries and liquorice gel lying beneath a surface tension of ’buckwheat rocks’,  (string knitting).

A visual celebration of summer memories.

Standing Cherry     02

Having James Viles’ (Biota) plated dish, ’Cherries, soured cream, buckwheat and liquorice’

as my culinary muse, set me on the path to explore the colours and textures of this visual feast.

I looked at the image of the horizontal plated dish and visualised   it as a vertical plate.

The ceramic plate being interpreted as a gathered element of shredded and recycled archived

paper, the plated culinary elements becoming applied elements: the scoop of cherry sorbet

creating the boat like shape at the top of the ‘plate’. The lower element a delicious mound

of deep pitted cherries moulded with the liquorice gel of black string knitting.

09 Standing cherry 02.JPG
08 Earthly delight 03.JPG

Earthly Delight  03
 

Having James Viles’ (Biota) plated dish, ’Set milks, onion caramel, oregano and barley’ as

my culinary muse, set me on the path to explore the colours and textures of this visual

feast.

Earthly Delight 03 takes the colour and over scaled shape of barley, the hint of

translucency in the dish interpreted with the use of delicately applied, brown paper,

layered, in a similar  way to the plated dish. The outer surface wrapping, of various

strings, is reminiscent of the high notes of the oregano leaves and onion flowers.

Earthly Delight 02

Having James Viles’ (Biota) plated dish, ’Set milks, onion caramel, oregano and barley’ as

my culinary muse, set me on the path to explore the colours and textures of this visual

feast.

Earthly Delight 02 takes the texture of barley, the bulbous onion shape, the principle of

 gathering from the environment , interpreted with recycled  shredded archived  paper 

with hints of  hidden oregano coloured paper, internally  wrapped with string like the

edge of cooked onions.  For a dining experience to remember.

08 Earthly delight 02.JPG
08 Earthly delight 01 (shredded).JPG

Earthly Delight 01 (shredded)

Having James Viles’ (Biota) plated dish, ’Set milks, onion caramel, oregano and barley’ as

my culinary muse, set me on the path to explore the colours and textures of this visual

feast.

 

Earthly delight  01 (shredded) takes the colour  of the barley and the texture of the

whole dish as it melds and connects with each element , interpreted with recycled

 shredded brown paper  and  hidden oregano coloured string from Bangladesh as a

 counterfoil to the delicate onion flower white petals.

Fire, earth, water

Having James Viles’ (Biota) plated dish, ’Fire-pit beetroots with leather jacket

cheeks’ as my culinary muse, set me on the path to explore the colours and

textures of this visual feast.

The fire element of the burning coals, the blackened skin of the earthy

 beetroots, being dropped onto the hot coals combined with the water

element of leather jackets, inspired the textures of layering and surface

patternisation of my vessel.

This sculpture is visually robust, the leather jacket cheeks represented in the rope wrapping,

encasing the form.

07 Fire, earth,water.JPG

Ode to the Feijoa

 

Having James Viles’ (Biota) plated dish, ’Fallen Feijoas with almond milk’ as my

culinary muse, set me on the path to explore the colours and textures of this visual feast.

The shapes of the various elements of this extraordinary dish, inspired the over scaled bulbous form of this vessel, my largest work to date.

The puffed amaranth dictated the knitted string outer casing pulled tightly over the feijoa flesh coloured form. The enormous scale of this work is a focal point of the room, my tactile and visual feast.

06 Ode to the  feijoa.JPG
12 We stood as trees and gathered our se

 

We stood as trees and gathered our senses       01, 02, 03, 04, 05

 

 

Having James Viles’ (Biota) plated dish, ’Clams, charcoal, smoked roe and pickled spent lettuce’

as my culinary muse, set me on the path to explore the colours and textures of this visual feast.

I imagined the burnt charcoaled trunks of trees, combining the variegated umbers and lineal

textures of clam shells, highlighted with hints of smoked roe (russet silk ribbon) and a hint of

pickled spent lettuce (random green string).

My forest of trees, gather our senses of sight, smell and touch, enticing the memory of taste.

Mum’s white rose

Having James Viles’ (Biota) plated dish, ‘Mum’s roses’ as my culinary muse, set me on the

 path to explore the colours and textures  of this visual feast.

The name of the dish conjured up images of a delectable old fashioned afternoon tea,

complete with crocheted lace table, a Victorian sponge, rose petals and vanilla cream.

 The essence, visually to me of James dish is translucency, hence handmade rice paper

as my chosen medium.

04 Mum's white rose.JPG
04 Mum's roses, golden throne.JPG

Mum’s roses, golden throne
 

Having James Viles’ (Biota) plated dish, ’ Mum’s roses’ as my culinary muse, set me on the

path to explore the colours and textures  of this visual feast.

The name of the dish conjured up images of a delectable old fashioned afternoon tea,

complete with crocheted lace table, a Victorian sponge, rose petals and vanilla cream.

The neck of the vessel echoing the peaches and nectarines in the recipe. The essence,

visually to me of James’ dish is translucency, hence handmade rice paper as my chosen

medium.

04 Mums roses- lace .JPG

Mum’s roses, Lace

 

Having James Viles’ (Biota) plated dish, ’Mum’s roses’ as my culinary muse, set me on the

path to explore the colours and textures of this visual feast.

The name of the dish conjured up images of a delectable old fashioned afternoon tea,

complete with crocheted lace table cloth, a Victorian sponge, rose petals and vanilla

cream.

The essence, visually to me of James’ dish is translucency, hence handmade rice paper and

a fragment of crocheted cloth as my medium.

More tea vicar?

02 Vessels of nourished joy 01. 2.JPG

Vessel of nourished joy 01

Having James Viles’ (Biota) plated dish, ‘legumes, their flowers and fresh cheese’ as my

culinary muse, set me on the path to explore the colours and textures  of this visual feast.

The textured tentacles, of fresh sugar snap pea vines entwined within a broad bean inspired

vessel, knitting the colour of the new pea flowers, encase the pod.

03 Platter of plenty.JPG

Platter of plenty

Having James Viles’ (Biota) plated dish, ’Sorrel and fennel sorbet, blueberries and

garden lavender’ as my culinary muse, set me on the path to explore the colours and

textures of this visual feast.

The scoop of fennel sorbet inspired the vessel form encased with steeped blueberry

coloured fabric. The surface textile is a repurposed silk reminiscent of the chlorophyll

greens and the patterns of fennel stems.

Vessel of nourished joy 03

 

Having James Viles’ (Biota) plated dish, ’legumes, their flowers and fresh cheese’ as my culinary muse, set me on the path to explore the colours and textures  of this visual feast.

The textured tentacles of fresh sugar snap pea vines and the purple of radish flowers with hints of the whey like string entwine this broad bean inspired vessel.

02 vessels of nourished joy 03.1.JPG
02 vessels of nourished joy 02. 3.JPG

Vessel of nourished joy 02

 

Having James Viles’ (Biota) plated dish, ’ legumes, their flowers and fresh cheese’  as my

culinary muse, set me on the path to explore the colours and textures  of this visual feast.

Knitting the colour of the new pea flowers, encase the broad bean like pod, the interior taking

its cue from the royal purple of radish flowers.

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