Canapé2015

A series of artworks developed as part of Bethan’s ongoing investigation into food for display and to denote social status.

For Canapé, Bethan was asked to take inspiration from the work of Dodie Thayer, and in particular her Lettuce Ware collection. Inspired by the idea of the ‘hostess with the mostest’, Bethan decided to reference the 1960s psychedelic dress worn by Dodie in many of the photographic portraits used to promote her work, along with a nod to the gigantism moment in pop art, to create oversized Canapés that fill entire dinner plates to become guests in themselves at Bethan’s own dinner party. Each Canapé is constructed of different ingredients and aspic jellies, with the textures and forms reinterpreted into strong graphic patterns and hand painted with bold, pop-saturated colours.

Each Canapé is named after cult British or American women from television and film, masters or disasters from the world of hostessing; they encompass the power and pressure woman both emulate and demonstrate when displaying such skills.

Abigail – (Abigail’s Party)

Margo – (The Good Life)

Minnie – (Rosemary’s Baby)

Fanny – (Fanny Cradock)

Barbara –(The Good Life)

Prudence –(Prue Leith)

Beverly –(Abigail’s Party)

These pieces were first commissioned by Tory Burch and Wallpaper* magazine for a touring installation in 2015.