“We are artists who are fed by nature, it’s shapes, it’s colours, it’s textures. They become ours to reshape, from the seen into the unseen of our imaginations. Using the artistic culinary work of local chef, Biota’s James Viles, has been a step into a selection of nature’s offerings that we wouldn’t have found on our won.”
– Juliet Holmes à Court
From the 23rd September until the 18th November the Sturt Gallery Mittagong will be exhibiting a fascinating collection of art inspired by culinary muse James Viles of Biota in Bowral. Sculptor Ruth Levine and painter Juliet Holmes à Court, have translated dishes created by Viles – one of Australia’s most respected young chefs – into tactile works of colour, texture and form.
“I cook in direct response to my produce, so to see these artists, respond to my food in their mediums, and adding to it an entirely new extension, is really fascinating“
– James Viles
Sculptor and Interior Designer Ruth Levine is an artist whose work continues to surprise and delight us. She sought the key to James’ inspiration, the basic ingredient – from the linear texture of the mushroom, the irregular roughness of the charcoal, to the the tea like banding of mussels. Her body of work is highly textural, representing the perfect imperfection of nature, a foil against the offshore, machine mass-made age.
“James’ nose to tail cooking philosophy, along with the idea of gathering from one’s immediate environment, is paralleled in my design practice of recycling and foraging from my environment.”
– Ruth Levine
For Holmes à Court, the dishes presented a new challenge to her painter’s palette – from frothy whites of icing sugar and rosy petals, to charcoal greys with flaming reds of fish roe. Floating circles of transparent onions becoming silvery lakes, and peach petals transform into clouds.
The show will be opened by well known food historian and author, John Newton.
Sturt Gallery – Cnr Range Rd and Waverley Pde, Mittagong 2575. Open seven days 10am – 5pm.
Photography by Toby Evans
