Emma Combining food and art
Juicy! is the inaugural solo exhibition by classically-trained contemporary artist Florence Houston. Taking place at J/M Gallery this November, Juicy! sparks interesting conversations about the intersection of art, history, and gastronomy.
Juicy! offers an experience that engages all the senses, showcasing a collection of monumental and dramatic paintings centred around the enchanting theme of Victorian jellies. Juicy also features a selection of still-life paintings depicting pills, flowers and plastic bags filled with colourful fruit.
Celebrated for her whimsical paintings, Florence Houston’s array of luscious and elaborate jelly designs capture the essence of Victorian elegance and extravagance. Through vibrant colours, intricate patterns, and nostalgic charm, Juicy explores the fascinating history and cultural significance of these gelatinous delights.
Both comic and monstrous, giant and miniature, these painted jellies were designed with food stylist Lou Kenney to capture the different characteristics of each jelly based on their size, colour and shape. With meticulous attention to detail, Houston’s series of stunning paintings pay homage to the Victorian era’s obsession with jellies as both a culinary delight and a symbol of social status.
Commenting on Juicy!, Florence Houston says: “Juicy is a word I’ve always used to describe something that excites me as a painter, its a colour or a texture or a brush stroke, even the paint itself as it comes out the tube. It’s a primal feeling that guides me from subject to subject and that unites this body of work. I really enjoy taking something that feels disregarded or unimportant and painting it seriously, really cherishing it. There’s something comedic about it but I also want to show how beautiful those things can be. It’s very satisfying painting a plastic bag or a jelly using exactly the same material and technique that’s been used to paint centuries of Kings, Popes and other pomp and glory. All my work focuses on beauty, I feel very sensitive to it, finding it and recreating it in my paintings feels like my ultimate goal”.
Juicy! will continue online until the end of November via www.florencehouston.com.
When
Wednesday 1st – Tuesday 7th November 2023
Opening Hours
Mon-Sun 10am-6pm
Admission
Free
Where
J/M Gallery, 230 Portobello Road, London W11 1LJ
