Foodporn blog Klary Koopmans
Foodies, foodporn and foodblogs
Wednesday, 22 September 2010, 8PM
Location: Hogewal 1-9
With: Klary Koopmans, Louise Fresco and Helen Westerik, Jaap Korteweg (The Vegetarian Butcher)
Food and imagery have always made a great team. It’s no coincidence that we say the eye also wants something. With the increasing media coverage of our society, the ways in which we visualize food and consume it as an image are growing. From appetizing food glossies that make your mouth water to the 'queen of food porn' Nigella Lawson, from monumental food scenes in film history to food blogs: our food and image culture have made a successful pact.
In 2005, American writer Frederick Kaufman used the term 'food porn' in his article 'Debbie does Salad' to describe the new aesthetics of cooking shows. But it’s not just our image culture with its food blogs, glossies, and an apparently endless stream of culinary TV shows that has given food and cooking such a central place in our culture. Economic changes and environmental issues have also led to a growing interest in what we eat, where it comes from, and how it is prepared. People who travel across cities and countries for the best olive oil or the tastiest tomatoes are sometimes called 'foodies', a group of conscious eaters who often report on their eating lives online, accompanied by the most delicious photos.
During this evening, we will explore the theme of 'food as image' from various perspectives. Dutch food blogger Klary Koopmans will give a presentation on the tension between voyeurism and exhibitionism in food blogs. Louise Fresco and Helen Westerik will talk about how food in films has evolved from purely functional to something that characters use to express their identity. This will be followed by their film quiz (with a prize!). Afterward, the audience will have the opportunity to purchase and have signed the book 'Betrayal, Temptation, and Reconciliation: The Role of Food in Feature Films' by Fresco and Westerik.
The snacks for this evening will be provided by The Vegetarian Butcher. Jaap Korteweg (organic farmer, animal rights activist, and husband of Marianne Thieme of the Party for the Animals) will share more about this new initiative, which he co-founded.