Rittenhouse Square Meal: A Feast for the Eyes
With the holidays approaching, the folks at Metropolitan Gallery 250 have more than just visions of sugar-plums dancing in their heads: chunks of Di Bruno Bros. cheese stand sharp on platters, bites of Zama sushi roll around, and sliced bread splays out on surfaces, all thanks to Philadelphia painter Mike Geno.
From now through January 5th, Metropolitan Gallery 250 will spotlight Geno’s food portrait menu titled “Rittenhouse Square Meal“. The gallery features paintings of specialties from three Rittenhouse Square culinary staples–Metropolitan Bakery, Zama, and Di Bruno Bros–with over 50 works of art (ranging in price from $50 – $1,000) and prints of his work for sale.
The textures and colors present in each piece of artwork make the edible subject pop off the canvas, from the scattered crumbs of a torn croissant to the glistening fish roe on an ikura salmon roll to the pie-filling bulge of a piece of Taleggio. Geno brings new meaning to the phrase “good enough to eat.”
At the gallery opening on Friday, December 6, the three featured restaurants catered exceptional fare paralleling his artwork.
In Geno’s statement about Rittenhouse Square Meal, he remarks:
“With paint, I aim to translate and recreate the seductiveness of food through texture, color and form. The specific beauty of unique artisanal cheeses, sculptural sushi rolls and the life sustaining breads have all been found in the rich community of Philadelphia, and more specifically along Rittenhouse Square. Metropolitan Bakery was a valuable source for some of the most beautifully baked subjects easily translated into hunger-inducing images. Zama Restaurant, enthusiastically contributed support for another series of paintings. They offered some of the most jewel-like compositions of sushi found in the city. The seemingly infinite supply of the world’s best cheeses, found at Di Bruno Brothers, gave me access to an extensive source of inspiration and resulted in a series of cheese portraits. These culinary institutions expanded my understanding of the world through food. This exhibition celebrates their support as much as the art they produce that inspires mine.”
The exhibition is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am – 4 pm. For a private showing, contact Jessie Harris at (215) 545-6655. For more information, visit www.blog.metropolitanbakery.