Alexis Ostraff and Professor Gary Barton, Studio Art

For a while now I’ve been interested in the role that food plays in the interaction between individuals
and groups of people. In my own home growing up I learned to love food and the gatherings that
food facilitated, especially family meal-times. I more recently developed the desire to look further
into how food affects our lives. For my ORCA project I wanted to observe interactions surrounding
food in homes different from my own. I was curious about cultural similarities and differences, and
wondered what I could learn in others homes that would influence my artwork as well as my own
kitchen. A couple of acquaintances in New Zealand agreed to work with me this last summer. My
goal was to observe the preparation and eating of meals in their homes, respond with a body of
artwork, and present the artwork in a show for others to interact with.

During my time in New Zealand I worked mainly with two families. The first family was part Maori,
part Tongan, and part German. The second was part Maori and part Kiwi. This gave an interesting
range of culture to my project. I took pictures of the food we ate together and made a record of the
things that I ate both with and without the families. Perhaps the most interesting and influential
parts of my stay were the discussions about food prompted by meals, rather than the meals
themselves. We talked about traditions surrounding food and many differences in food between
New Zealand and the United States. I was also able to get a view on foods from a wide range of
ages. I filled my sketchbook with small drawings and notes about things we’d discussed, then used
my pictures and notes as I decided what form my art project would take. When I was back at school,
I figured out a project that would accomplish my goals and hold my interest. I spent several months
creating work about meals both from my New Zealand trip and my family home.

My final work was a series of folded forms with pencil drawings on the inside. I displayed twenty
one pieces. The form I used is called the turkish map fold and when closed it resembles a little
house. When open, it is a square and on the middle of the square I drew the meals. It was meant to
be a symbol of food being the center and heart of a home. I exhibited it in Gallery 303 in the Harris
Fine Arts Center at BYU. It was titled “Family Table”. I had originally planned on having this show
be my Final BFA Show which is a capstone project. It could still have fulfilled that purpose, but I
had been working on another project at the same time that I decided was more fitting to have as my
Final Show. I hung that show in an adjacent space and had a joint opening night. The show for my
ORCA project ended up being a collaborative show with my husband, who is also an art major. He
did an installation responding to the same theme that I worked with. His installation hung in the
center of the room while my work sat on shelves on the walls. The show was clean and professional
and I felt very happy with the results and the response of the viewers. Approximately a hundred
people came through the show at the opening and many more during the two weeks it was up.

There were some challenges that I didn’t expect when I proposed my project and that I had to
overcome as I was working. One was that I am an introverted person in general and I found that
taking pictures in someone else’s personal space was uncomfortable to me. I became more
comfortable as I got to know the families, but my anxiety affected some of my plans. However, it
was healthy for me to get out of my comfort zone and I learned about my own needs for future
projects. The conversations I mentioned, and asking questions was much more natural. I wanted to
get to know them instead of feeling like they were a subject of study. I would also need to stay
somewhere for a longer period of time if I were to try to find extra people to work with in an area. I
wanted to naturally make acquaintances instead of feeling like I might be intruding on others space
and time. I did learn a lot, however, from the few people that were kind enough to take us in. I love
that our common need for food brings us together both in families and communities. I was
fascinated with the bond between the Maori community and their generosity in sharing food and
time with each other both to celebrate and to mourn.

I had an extended experience with the food that I ate because I spend the time to carefully draw
them. My experience was then shared with others and they were able to contemplate something as
common as a meal because it was placed in a unique context. I was also glad that I was able to
collaborate. My husband and I will be able to apply to more shows with the work that we have done
for this exhibition, and it is likely to lead to additional collaborations and further research. I am
excited about the subject of food and it’s many possibilities of study. Because of this project I have
been able to travel to a specific place to study, I have had to plan far in advance, and I’ve been able
to work with other people in various ways. These opportunities have not only helped me create one
successful project, but have helped me see greater potential for my projects and my artwork as I
continue to create.