The title for this series, Under the Hood, is an American phrase that means: to examine or admire what's beneath the engine cover, or hood, of an automobile or to diagnosis a problem. I chose this title because as a painter thinking forensically I want to investigate how the layers of a painting, its mechanics, can be used to cross-examine a subject. In this case, the historical symbolism of food in painting and the psychosocial dynamics of dining.
There are many curious rituals involving the preparation and consumption of food. For example, praying before meals or pie-eating contests. One of the most bizarre is the French delicacy of Ortolan, a small migratory songbird that is captured, force-fed millet, drowned in brandy, flash-fried, and eaten hot under a large linen napkin. The napkin is said to be a visual shield from the eyes of God and a sensory hood to savor the cruel and delicious flavors of this now banned delicacy. Ortolan is a nuanced and provocative example of why dining in general is controversial and potent.
