From Twinkies to hamburgers, all kinds of food are on display in Queens. They are not to be eaten, but to be appreciated as works of art. NY1's Roger Clark reports on his experience.
Samm Cohen, an artist, decided to pay tribute to a beloved American food that she says really isn't food.
"There's so many synthetic ingredients in it and it lasts forever," Cohen said. "It's interesting."
"The Return of the King," which is a tribute piece to a Twinkie, is one of more than 50 works of art at the Food Show at the Local Project Gallery in Long Island City. It is running through April 2.
Artist John Baber curated the multi-media show and has his own piece too, a collage of supermarket sales circulars.
"There's a lot of humor in this show," Baber said. "There's some serious pieces, but I would say all in all, this show has a real fun feeling to it."
Most of the food at this show is not real. But there are a few exceptions. One of them is a slider and burger on a plate, called "Mother and Child Reunion." However, they are not meant to be eaten.
Same goes for a painting done by artist Ashley Thompson, which highlights some fun-loving crustaceans.
"I think shrimp are very sexy," Thompson said. "They look really shiny and toned."
In this gallery, there is a variety of pieces ranging from hot items to cold treats. For example, there is a video version of a painting called, "The Devil Drives an Ice Cream Truck" by Marie Koo, which takes a more serious tone.
"This is a reference to the banality of evil," she said. "It's about sugar and slavery."
This is truly a show where you can have your cake, but not eat it too.
To find out more about the show and gallery, visit localproject.org