When Food Becomes Art
It's art that looks good enough to eat: a bowl of fruit by Cezanne, fish by Manet - or how about some fruit salad, compliments of Giuseppe Arcimboldo.
The Musee du Luxembourg in Paris is serving up a collection of work by the 16th century Italian painter. He uses fruits, vegetables, even chicken legs blended together in an unlikely stew of facial features. Popular in his time, says curator Sylvia Ferino, as well as popular today.
"They were very much popular in his time," she said. "They were done for Emperor Maximilian II who had a strong liking for natural sciences."
The allure of food has long played muse to artistic appetites.
Consider noted artist Wayne Thieboud's famed cakes and pies or sculptors Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen's upside down ice cream cone. And artists can cast a wide net.
Fisherman Jim Goldberg's catch off the east end of Long Island puts food on the family table and also serves up the perfect subject matter for his wife, artist Annie Sessler. She's hooked on printing fish.Recipe: Uncle Buddie's Striped Bass
"From fish printing, what I love is the lateral line on all the different fish," she told CBS News correspondent Bianca Solorzano. "How they're different. And all these beautiful scales come together is just beautiful."
The fish is cleaned, then propped up with cardboard and newspaper to literally make a good impression.
"Through printing I've come to see many more details of a fish than you would just see looking at this fish," Sessler said.
Using ink, she paints one side of the fish, except the eye, which is painted on the print later.
Fish rubbing is a 19th century Japanese art, called Gyotaku, and was originally used by fishermen to keep track of their catch. Gyo means fish, and Taku means rubbing or impression.
The catch of the day - flounder, tuna, bluefish and squid - is immortalized on cotton, satin even an old shirt. Sessler has made 1,500 prints. So while some men bring home flowers, candy or jewelry, Goldberg brings his wife fish.
"She likes fish," he said. "She gets so excited."
For more information visit eastendfishprints.com.