Food Flux

The increasingly distant connection between food — the stuff that grows, walks, flies, and/or swims — and “food” — the semi-edible material that pops out of a box, can, or drive-thru window, is the source of much contemporary hand-wringing. But how did food become “food”? The question is political, anthropological,...

By Arielle Castillo

September 29, 2011

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "19274298",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17482312",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482310",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482313",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

The increasingly distant connection between food — the stuff that grows, walks, flies, and/or swims — and “food” — the semi-edible material that pops out of a box, can, or drive-thru window, is the source of much contemporary hand-wringing. But how did food become “food”? The question is political, anthropological, and sociological. And the answer can be traced throughout the past century’s advertising, design, and pop culture. A new exhibition at the Frost Art Museum explores the phenomenon by which Americans have gradually come to favor getting their nourishment from the factory instead of the farm. “Modern Meals: Remaking American Foods From Farm to Kitchen” focuses on everything past 1945, when the end of the Depression and World War II led to lots of shiny newness. Most Americans no longer had to worry about starving. Food and dining became both a source of leisure and a chore that could now be escaped through technology. Some of that led to good — for one thing, women no longer had to spend all day laboriously making dinner. Some of it led to bad, though. Enter the ’50s and the dawn of Space Age frozen and processed foods. The posters, ads, cookware, appliances, and other artifacts come from the permanent collection of the Wolfsonian-FIU.
Tuesdays-Sundays, 10 a.m. Starts: Oct. 12. Continues through Jan. 12, 2011

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Miami New Times has been defined as the free, independent voice of Miami — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.