How often do 8-foot-long bananas appear in public?
Open until April 20, the City of Irvine Great Park Gallery’s “More Than You Can Chew” exhibition explores food’s cultural and personal significance through contemporary art. Curated by Andrea Chavez and Adam Sabolick, the gallery showcases the work of 17 artists from around the world, using diverse mediums to examine the complexities of food and modern life.
“There’s a very inherent connection to life and food,” senior Isaiah Walker said. “It’s interesting to see all the ways you can have social commentary with food because it’s such a universal experience.”
As visitors first step into the gallery, they come face to face with a didactic panel depicting contemporary artist Jeff Coon’s balloon dog, but made of twinkies—just one example of the exhibition’s many familiar yet unconventional depictions of culinary experiences. Baby Mueller’s presentations of fast food, for example, reference the Vanitas paintings of the 16th and 17th centuries and reflect the complexities of childhood memories and consumption.
The exhibition aims to foster creativity and accessibility for artists and visitors alike. L.A.-based artist Colin Roberts even created his eye-catching 8-foot banana specifically for the exhibition. Seattle-based Japanese artist Eriko Kobayashi invites visitors to interact with her glass sculpture “Sunny Side Up,” which explores the comfort of eggs and includes broken eggshells that the viewers can jump on and step across.
“I once heard an artist say they want to make artwork that feels like when you go to see a matinee movie and you come out and it’s all bright outside, and you kind of have this fresh perspective of reality,” Sabolick said. “That’s kind of the desired effect that I hope our exhibition program has.”
Housed in a repurposed WWII era building, the Great Park Gallery hosts three to four exhibitions a year, alongside interactive programming as part of the larger Palm Courts Art Complex. On Feb. 15, over 300 attendees created DIY buttons at “Wear California on Your Sleeve.” The complex also offers a three-part live jazz series called Jazz at the Palm Court with upcoming performances scheduled for March 16 and April 19 from 1 to 3 p.m.
“We try to make them appealing and scaffolded, so if a family comes in with small children, it will be super cool and engaging, and if an adult who’s got an MFA came in, they can engage with it and push it to its limits,” Sabolick said. “People can come and not have an arts education or be an arts enthusiast but still understand the exhibition and have a valuable arts experience.”
The next arts activity, “Origami for Breakfast,” will be held on April 19 from 1 to 3 p.m. and offers a self-guided origami open workshop to make a paper breakfast while listening to the sounds of Jazz at the Palm Court.
The gallery’s “More Than You Can Chew” exhibition is open to the public every Thursday and Friday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit the Great Park Gallery at the Palm Court Arts Complex at 270 Corsair, Irvine, CA 92618.
