Vivid Oil Paintings by Kristof Santy Present Humble Meals as Bold Gastronomic Decadence
“Bloemen en kaas” (2022), oil on canvas, 160 x 140 centimeters. All photographs © Kristof Santy, courtesy of Unit London, shared with permission
Referencing Marco Ferreri’s mordant 1970s satire by the identical title, La Grande Bouffe, or The Massive Feast, saturates the easy meals present in pantries and fridges with sudden grandeur. The solo exhibition on view at Unit London showcases vivid work by Belgian artist Kristof Santy that remodel humble fare like a cheddar wedge or slice of watermelon into brilliant, gastronomic celebrations.
Typically positioned in opposition to textured tile backdrops or striped wallpaper, the oil-based works are typically both devoid of human life or painting figures in inflexible stasis: a butcher stiffly lifts a brush within the store doorway, a finger peels again a tin of fish with precision, and pans full of sausages and different meats fry on a stovetop unsupervised. Rendered with Santy’s signature flatness, the tableaus spotlight the typically unnoticed and but luxurious qualities of on a regular basis meals.
La Grande Bouffe is on view via August 7, and you’ll find an archive of the artist’s decadent works on his site and Instagram.
“Fornuis,” oil on canvas, 140 x 160 centimeters
“Fruitmand,” oil on canvas, 140 x 160 centimeters
“Frietpot” (2022), oil on canvas, 170 x 180 centimeters
“Vismarkt,” oil on canvas, 240 x 200 centimeters
“Beenhouwerij” (2022), oil on canvas, 200 x 240 centimeters
“Sardienen met kerstomaten,” oil on canvas, 180 x 180 centimeters
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