Bloodworth’s recent work has morphed from portraits of people that dominated her oeuvre in the past, to portraits of meals – intimate, personal representations of particular shared events. The work grew from a shared life with her husband, a life that treats meals as special events, whether they are dining alone or with friends and family.
Bloodworth said, “My husband, Fred May, inspires the menu and I create the table setting, believing every meal is a special occasion. We both cook, although I am mostly the sous chef, and I photograph the meals from different viewpoints, as a preamble to what I will ultimately paint.”
It is not the food the artist is trying to capture, but rather the moment, the people, the shared experience that went into creating it.The process of creating the paintings begins with the meal itself. Many of the decisions in the paintings, such as her use of the rich vibrant colors, are made during the preparation of the meals. Color choice may be driven by the food, a season, or a particular holiday.
Fred May often begins the meal planning with a stop at the Lobster House when in Cape May where he chooses elements of the meal from the best catch of the day. The side dishes will begin with a stop at a farmer’s market where he picks out vegetables and fruit that will complement the entrée. Often, the last stop of the day is their garden where herbs and flowers are selected to complement the meal and grace the table.
In some ways each of Bloodworth’s paintings is a performance art piece. While the meal is being prepared, Bloodworth creates a table setting that responds to the menu by picking out dinnerware from a vast inventory, pulling out linens from a well-organized closet where the objects are arranged in a manner that suggests being in the middle of a color wheel.
The settings are sculptural, with strong colors and textures showcasing the dishes that are in themselves works of art. Bloodworth photographs each course as it is served, and the consumption of the meal is, in effect, performance art. At the conclusion of each meal, the photographs are filed away until the end of the year when she reviews the portfolio and chooses the portraits that are transformed into paintings.
This process ensures that the meals are event driven, and are prepared for enjoyment and pleasure. Once the painting begins in the studio, the artist is singularly focused on capturing that moment in time, creating a portrait of that special meal and occasion.
Sandra Bloodworth has exhibited widely from Charleston, Mississippi to New York City. She is currently director of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Arts for Transit program. In 2005, she was awarded the Sloan Public Service Award for her work in bringing art and music to the New York subway. She is the co-author of Along the Way: MTA Arts for Transit.
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