“Edible Vistas” Bau-Xi Gallery, Vancouver

Sugar Beach (2010) ESZTER BURGHARDT
Inkjet Print 12.25" x 16.5" Edition of 7

When I first saw Eszter Burghardt’s solo exhibition called “Edible Vistas” at the Bau-Xi Gallery I couldn’t help but feel disappointed. Initially, I perceived Burghardt’s works to be macro photographs of barren isolated environments that were transformed to look like micro toy models. Her work reminded me significantly of the artist Olivo Barbieri. Barbieri is an Italian artist most known for his experimentation with tilt-shift photography. Tilt shift photography is a technique where photographs of landscapes and cityscapes appear to look like obsessively detailed toy models through the use of a tilt shift lens. Barbieri first started creating works like this in the 1990’s. 

Malaga, Spain (2006) OLIVO BARBIERI

In the last decade tilt shift photography has rapidly become popular and overused in the commercial advertisement industry. Advertisements using a tilt shift lens usually display a photograph of a famous city made to look like a toy model accompanied by a cliché phrase like “it’s a small world after all". Through advancements in technology tilt shift photography can be fabricated by anyone with a computer through post processing techniques and software such as Photoshop.

It's A Small Small World (2008) MAZDA Advertisement Campaign

My initial reaction to Eszter Burghardt’s photographs was negative due to the connotations of fabrication associated with tilt shift photography. I was dissapointed that an artist would use such a commercial conventional stream of photography to depict the isolated geography of Iceland. However, when I looked closely I released what I was looking at was not macro processed to look micro, but in fact the opposite. I had been mistaken as my first impression of the work was completely wrong and I had characterized her work and compared it to something that it certainly is not.The exhibition is held upstairs at the Bau-Xi Gallery in a small room separate from the main section of the gallery. I feel that the detached location of the exhibition helps compliment the secluded subject matter in her body of work.

The exhibition consists of 7 photographs and 2 sculptures. The photographs taken by Burghardt are of small dioramas which she has created based on her memory of landscapes in Iceland, during her residency there. Her Artist statement specifically reveals the ingredients of her work; poppy seeds, coca powder, coffee, milk and chocolate cake crumbs. These food items have been carefully picked as a suitable match to the textures found in the Icelandic landscapes.

Bake (2010) ESZTER BURGHARDT
Inkjet Print 12.25" x 16.5" Edition of 7

Simmer (2010) ESZTER BURGHARDT
Injet Print 12.25" x 16.5" Edition of 7

Taste of Another (2010) ESZTER BURGHARDT
Inkjet Print 12.25" x 16.5" Edition of 7

To clarify any confusion about her choice of material she includes two sculptures to help complete the exhibition. The first sculpture is a piece of Icelandic lava rock called Kex. Kex is the Icelandic word for cookie and remarkably has a distinct resemblance to a chocolate biscuit. The inclusion of the Kex is important because your average member of the public that comes to view the Bau-Xi Gallery may not have been to Iceland but can still imagine the realty of her artwork by bringing a small part of Iceland into the gallery. The second sculpture in the exhibition is a jar of Oreo cookies titled Hraun, which is the Icelandic word for lava. This comparison between the Oreo cookie and the Icelandic lava rock is an extremely important factor when contemplating her choice of material for her dioramas. These sculptures give the audience a better context into her photography. The sculpture Hraun brakes down the conventions of not being allowed to eat in the gallery by inviting the spectator to indulge and take an Oreo cookie from the jar. It also creates speculation as to what these Icelandic mud cake dioramas would taste like. The whole experience becomes new, refreshing and exciting. I no longer see the work as boring, repetitive tilt shift photographs but instead, I find myself indulging in these chocolate cake constructions that Burghardt created.

Coco Ridge (2010) ESZTER BURGHARDT
Inkjet Print 12.25" x 16.5" Edition of 7

After visiting the exhibition, I am left with questions such as, how much do these dioramas accurately articulate the textures and colors of the Icelandic landscape? How much time goes into creating these dioramas and how easy is it to work with the material she works with? All these questions leave me wanting to know more.

The ambiguity of how she creates her work is faithfully cohesive with the majestic stigma of the unfamiliar Icelandic landscapes. If you like  Eszter Burghardt’s “Edible Vistas” you also MUST check out her "Wooly Sagas" series here!