Filed under: Bloggidy Blog
Hi everyone. I just got back from a week in Mexico with folks from Don’s work. Mostly we ate and walked on the beach and drank. Went to the bathroom a lot. Read books and chased lizards. It was fun. On day 6 I tripped on one of the many things in Mexico there are to trip on and now the middle finger on my left hand is all jacked up. Since I can’t twirl a mandrel to make beads I’m working on planning a gala Gallery Night (sponsored by the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art) event involving my newly-acquired Potted Meat Museum. Of late, it has been the most inspiring thing in my life.
Due to a lack of refrigeration, Mexico is a country rich in exotic canned meat products. (Also, milk comes in a box in aisle 3 and eggs are kept at store temperature so watch out for that.) There were so many tins of wonder to choose from it was hard to pick just two to take home with me. Here is a picture of one that made it back:
Here’s how the conversation went with the Dept. of Agriculture authority in Customs. Keep in mind that on my left hand is a badly bruised finger taped to a splint I made from a chop stick :
Me: I have two cans of squid in my suitcase.
The Authority: Are you going to eat them?
Me: Oh, no! I collect them-I have a meat collection in my store. It’s like a tourist attraction.
The Authority: What did you do to your finger?
Me: I fell. There were a lot of things to trip on.
The Aurhority (to Don): Why didn’t you catch her?
Don: I fell too.
The Authority: I thought you might have hurt it opening a can.
Me: Oh no! I don’t eat these-I collect them.
It went on like that for a while. He was very funny. I convinced him I was just a garden-variety wack-job and he let us through without a search. The end.
BUT, back to the reason I started writing this…I’m trying to put together a meat-themed show for May 4th, Gallery Night (sponsored by the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art) and I’d like to display meat-themed art work from anyone who wants to throw down. Due to a lack of ventilation in the store, I request that you do not use real meat in your creations. Artistic renderings of meat in prints, paintings and jewelry are preferred as well as sculpture from meat packaging (SPAM cans and what have you) or advertising. If your work sells, you get the money minus credit card fees. If it doesn’t, I’ll send it back to you.
Those with more than a passing familiarity potted meat are aware of the unintended humor within a product’s provocative name (eg. “Lunch Tongue”) and ingredients (eg. “Mechanically separated chicken”). The Meat Museum came with two cans wrapped in home-made labels that look like real products:
Thus, another creative possibility–design your own potted meat product label and stick it on a can. Or, design a label and mail it to me and I’ll stick it on a can. Recipe suggestions and full disclosure of ingredients is a must.
You know, that sort of thing. So, have you got any meat art in your portfolio? Do you make glass or metal bacon? Comment or email me at aardvarkartglass@gmail.com.
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