North American Pop Food Portraits, opening August 26th in the Gladstone’s (1214 Queen St. W.) Art Bar,  is a multi-media exhibition that will encourage your sleepy summer brain to get into gear, rejoice in the wonder of Wonderbread, and indulge in the aura of processed foods. This show is certainly a feast for the eyes that supports overindulgence and suspends the morality of making healthy choices.

Artists and semioticians Shauna Jean Doherty, Arielle Reed, Alex McLaren, Rachel Taylor and Shalini Scuba Makdani have curated a thought provoking show that is intended to be a shallow revelation. In the midst of a Green Revolution, North American Pop Food Portraits ironically explores the pseudo-reality of synthetic consumable culture. The exhibit inspires thoughts of nostalgia by sanctifying images of familiar foods, like Twinkies and processed cheese. Twinkies have a disturbing shelf life, making them the perfect post-apocalyptic snack.

As food becomes more and more dislocated from its origins, the show draws attention to the way in which we sacrifice authenticity for the allure of convenience. The show runs from August 25th to August 30thand was largely funded by U of T’s Woodsworth Art Society. Come gorge yourself at the opening gala on the 26th. The spectacle is set to start at 7:00 pm. PWYC. A marriage of the sacred and profane. Bright colours and plasticity will leave you feeling much the same way you do after a burger from McD’s, not full, but different.

~ Shauna Jean Doherty