For some reason we humans quite like to have paintings of food in our kitchens – perhaps to inspire us, or in our dining rooms – maybe to whet our appetites. Whatever the reason, food has been a favourite subject of artists from time immemorial. Romans, Greeks, and Egyptians all featured food in their frescos and do you remember those amazing Renaissance paintings of piles of food, or Cezanne’s still lifes of fruits?

Nothing much changes in life, and when it comes to wall art it’s mostly just the style and the medium, so unsurprisingly, wandering round the Affordable Art Fair, I came across an abundance of food centric still-lifes.

Foodie Photos

Photographs seem to lend themselves to simple, modern spaces and help maintain a sense of unclutteredness. Studies have shown that a tranquil environment helps your digestion (no rows, no TV!), so a picture with a calming aura is probably good for both body and soul.

I really liked Spanish photographer Leticia Felgueroso’s elegant, stylised images which would look really great over the dresser or dining table in a modern flat. I particularly like the long narrow image above. The  right hand image in the gallery below is also hers. You can see more of her works on the de Kunst Salon site.

Still lifes of food in cellophane bags (left below) by artist Ken McKie at the Tallantyre Gallery are also highly original and fun – this one of sweeties, called ‘Untied’ is one of a series including pictures of oranges, pears, watermelon and even Licorice Allsorts! Crisp and uncluttered they help to keep a sense of spaciousness in a small room.

A bowl full of fruit

If a more traditional oil on canvas look is more to your taste, there were lots on offer. How about the one in the center of the gallery above, by artist Marcel Schellekens and also from de Kunst Salon. Perhaps it’s reminiscent of some of the Impessionist paintings of fruit. It’s charming and its colours are both warm and subtle.

Here’s something slightly more abstract from Sally Anne Fitter at Lena Boyle Fine Art. This is a very pretty still life in acrylics, with a lovely balance of colour and shapes. You might call it afternoon tea with lemons – but then again maybe not!

It’s interesting going round a show like AAF  just how many ways there are of representing something as simple and everyday as food. And beyond medium and style, it’s also interesting how artists working in cultures as generally similar as the UK and Europe, have such distinctly different approaches.  If you look at the upcoming shows on the AAF website, you somehow instantly recognise that the featured artists aren’t from the UK.  A good reason, perhaps for visiting the shows if you’ve been bitten by the collecting bug!