Artist
Betsy Krebs drew inspiration for this series of paintings from the Joy
of Cooking cookbook. To Betsy, this cookbook is like a Bible, a
Torah or Koran of sacred already tested information for people who
prepare and make food to nourish and preserve.
Betsy
describes these paintings as "...placemats like you would see in a
restaurant. These images are about what goes on around the ritual of
eating. They include a language that is usually not spoken during food
related encounters. There is lots of symbolism about psychological
developments within the rooms and deserve closer observation....The
"Cow" series placemats are about our comfortable views of the
common uses of cows for foods we eat. These works also suggest how we
see them before we have them butchered, as nice "Elsie" the
cows, to the happy butchered version found in supermarkets, blanking out
our view of what happens to them during the time they are alive and the
time they are found in packages. This conjures the notion of the styles
of death that they may go through to get to the cellophane wrapper stage
we are so comfortable with."
The
prices on these oil paintings vary. Under each painting is a brief
description and the accompanying price.

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