Terms like “organic” and “biomorphic” get thrown around a lot in the art world. Royal College of Art-graduate Marre Moerel, as though it were a challenge, came up with a set of tableware that takes those terms quite literally.
Food on the Table was a series she produced which were cast from the actual organs and viscera of animals. But rather than exploiting the poor, dead beasts for an edgy-looking teacup, Moerel states the point of the set was to prompt introspection on the part of the eater about what it was they were consuming. She states:
“‘Food on the Table’ is a complete range of Porcelain Tableware consisting of cups, plates, bowls, jugs, serving trays and other related objects. Conceptually, the collection is meant to promote thought and discussion about how, what, where and why we eat. The pieces are molded and cast directly from animal organs, such as cow hearts and livers, pig intestines, sheep brains, bull testicles etc. The shape and function of each object were derived from its original, natural form, without further manipulation or ‘design’. Only the slightest adaptation to this natural design was applied to make each object more practical to serve its final purpose. Through this process of immortalizing the animal’s interior, Moerel confronts us with the brutality and animal instinct which exist in all of us. At the same time, she shows us the beauty inherent in the rawness of nature, which we continue to be disconnected from, and which we can only hope to rediscover.”
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Marre Moerel, “Food on the Table.”
Wow!