Food Security (2021)
Giclée print. Edition of 3
In Food Security, Lowry utilises the ‘Memento Mori’ tradition of tables piled high with food and drink and elaborate accoutrement to further explore the ramifications of the Covid-19 pandemic. A single candle is present, a small light in the darkness. As people spent more time at home and certain foods dwindled in availability, many turned to baking bread or raising birds for eggs and meat.
The table is laid with breads, cheeses, eggs and a quail, yet the empty plate and upturned cup represent the financial hardships many faced. In addition to the candle, light flows from an unseen window, just visible in the reflection of the beaker. The use of a window to light a scene references such great artists as Vermeer and Rembrandt. The abundant table, including the dead quail, show the mixed fortunes of many in the pandemic and capture the spirit of the 16th and 17th century ‘Memento Mori’ paintings.
No animals were harmed in the making of this work. The quail was a pet which died of natural causes.