Fondant as Art

[Kerry Beal]

I was out shopping this morning with my friend Beth, a recent eG recruit. As we walked up the street in a newly trendy area of Hamilton, my eye was caught by some lovely fondant covered cakes in the window of a bakery - or so I thought.

On closer examination I noticed an eye looking out at me from the side of one of the cakes. Then I noticed some teeth, bones and bits of hair.

Turns out it was a gallery and the cakes were exhibits. I found it rather disturbing - this combination of smooth fondant, perfectly piped royal icing and bits and pieces of humans and animals.

The piece that most struck me was this perfectly square cake, every curlique in place, with a snake's open jawbone centered on the top.

A couple of links to the artist's work here, and here, and here.

I may never look at a wedding cake the same way again.

[K8memphis]

Hmm, it just seems so incongrous that it doesn't work for me at all. It just looks like random stuff no connection too disjointed to have an impact for me.

Hair? Dirt? No.

I saw a cake last week that was beautiful but it had peacock feathers on it. No, that's wrong too.

It'd be like having a plumber's wrench or an auto mechanic's greasy oily tools on a chef's nice smooth glossy glistening white ceramic plate of food. Agh, just wrong. I guess I'm too close to it (cakedom) to see the creative flow in the links.

Art must be in the eye of the beholder and apparently he's not home right now.

[Kayakado]

Artwork that certainly offers a jolting contrast. As for fondant, Wilton is the one most found on the shelves and it is nasty industrial stuff. Wilton gives fondant a bad name. Despite numerous complaints, they just don't care. I make my own fondant which tastes great!

I once went to an exhibit in San Antonio. I can't remember the artist name or theme but the whole gallery was filled with calves in various state of butchering. All were skinned and some pieces were just raw meat hunks or internal organs in various states of repose. A jolting site and smell (it was over 90). I like weird art but this had crossed the line for me. It was the gallery opening for this exhibit, so they were serving food and drink, ugh!!!