Yogurt Culture

YOGHURT: A FLAVOUR
Anita Ives

 

A joke on the artists’ forum inspires Boris Novak to set a challenge. From 26 countries, 63 artists speaking 15 languages made 119 artworks to create Yoghurtaria.

Like stolen exhibits in a gallery, I’ve plundered the words of the artists to tell the story. A textural piece showing the thick creamy delight. Some of us are creating culture...

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I live in an extremely rural secluded area of upstate NY, pretty much cut off from the rest of the world. They say here if you want culture you have to buy yogurt.

For starters, what is this new place? Like one of Alice’s dreamscapes. the white rabbit, a chess board, a Palladian bridge and antique gilt-framed royals of the parallel universe liv- ing under the threat of electro execution. Frozen yoghurt on fresh snow: here is the ski slope in the centre of the town, so close to the theatre, that you could get to it on the skis if you don ́t know how to stop them.

The wild skies and seas, where the wind comes from and where the wind goes. Staring at the stars in mono and full colour. There's not much marsh left now – most of it's been built on, and they moved the gypsies out ages ago (long before I was born).

Cows. She’s a cutey. We named her Mooey. A favourite of mine stands out from the crowd. She’s red and is fantastically named Saturn Lucky. Krishna was brought up as a cowherd. No wonder he loved curd and would climb to steal it from the earthenware pots hung up high by the Gopis.

I have a painting I made of the footprints of three-legged Nosferatu. He was a furry dude! Whilst Boris’ cat sleeps on Caravaggio’s lap. In this society cats get the yoghurt and cream. Very clever of me leaving the yoghurt on the table. Yoghurt horses? That'd be quite something. There’s a wee yoghurty mouse too.

Plenty of spoonfuls – the closest it gets to my tastebuds.

 

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A daughter’s ritual: the careful cutting of fruit, adding special jam, nuts and granola. Or- ange fruit, tasty Arabic bread. Layered lemon yoghurt cake, baked by me. The beauty of pomegranate, symbol of life and prosperity.

Vanilla drips, or swirls of fresh blueberry and velvet – a rich palette. Luscious berries bal- anced on dollops. The English idiom. Silver top yoghurt pots. A rich fruit compote. Bub- blegum, raspberry rose metallic. Framboise. A woman is spoon fed pink. With a cherry on top.

Multi-coloured, tiny stitches made by hand into sparkly blue blobs of strawberry sauce. Temptation in the garden of Eden. It's just yoghurt, honest! The model for this pearl neck- lace is a vegan. Vegans say no if it’s not dairy-free.

I prefer the real thing, personally.

Not allowed to crave right now. On target to get down to 165 pounds, currently 185 LOL, what are they smoking, they think I will not eat yoghurt. I grew up in the 1970s when it was synonymous with being on a diet.

But sometimes something is rotten in the culture. Global revolution. Free the nipple. One fifth of the population is on the edge of surviving, their yoghurt bowls are empty. This morn- ing I was at the supermarket and I was struck by the endless row of jars of yoghurt ...I had with me my camera and I started shooting... I have asked for permission before...but the manager saleswoman got fed up and ordered me to stop! Because this put at risk the im- age of the supermarket. I quickly paid the bill and I ran away!

Good mourning. Vegemite and Yoplait, side by side in grief.

 

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A discourse on the properties of yoghurt as an art material. First any artist considering an organic material that decomposes should read up on how yogurt breaks down. Does it give off gases or turn colours? Then there is the question of mould, like in your fridge. Yo- gurt used as a medium could get an artist in a lot of trouble if it started to stink or rot. If it’s good enough for Warhol...

We talk, we paint, we laugh, we disagree, we agree, we challenge and support. From all over the world. Different languages, backgrounds and current lives. It doesn't matter how old we are, what religion, what gender. Fat, skinny, vegan, soy, non-GMO, frozen, Swiss, Asian, French, Lite, Rice, custard, Greek, Balkan, Fat-Free, cultured, plain or have Fruit- on-the Bottom, we are all accepted and respected in the Yoghurt Society.

Mint.

And half a life passed by while we were together fermenting yogurts: Steve had frozen shoulder
Friday 13th in Paris
Morphd's friend left
Sandra went to London for the second time in her life
Ester lost her purse with money
Boris went to the dentist to leave his last penny
Damien was sent to bed at 7 pm sharp
Cafe was opened by Rod. 

 

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Boris NovakAnita IvesRod NormanLouise PirrottaHana AuerovaRosalind RobertsMo TuncayValri AryDamien VendittiSandra RoekenValerie Erichsen ThomsonKris MercerRod Norman's 2nd HelpingHayley BowenBoris Novak's 2nd HelpingJanice MacDougallEster QOllie Le BrocqDaniel HellerDaniel Heller's 2nd HelpingJakub DKCally LawsonLana ShuksRia Janta-CooperJustice HydeFrederic BelaubreMorphd MohawkSilvija HorvatMisty LadyAngel GriffinMel GrahamRod Norman's 3rd Helping -he is clearly hungry!Fiona PhilippsSandra Roeken's 2nd HelpingMichele WallingtonRosalind Roberts' 2nd HelpingAngel Griffin's 2nd HelpingCraig FosterJane MartinFrederic Belaubre's 2nd (more serious!) HelpingPhyllis MahonDomenica BrockmanCristina MihailescuRod Norman's 4th(!) HelpingDamien Venditti's 2nd HelpingPhyllis Mahon's 2nd HelpingLinda CoppensLinda Coppens' 2nd HelpingLinda Coppens' 3rd HelpingLinda Coppens' 4th HelpingCarla Sá FernandesKellie SchofieldHana Auerova's 2nd HelpingSandra Roeken's 3rd HelpingFrederic Belaubre's 3rd HelpingSilvija Horvat's 2nd HelpingIan WalderRashna HackettDamien Venditti's 3rd HelpingAsha Sudhaker ShenoySlav NedevSlav Nedev's 2nd HelpingSlav Nedev's 3rd HelpingSlav Nedev's 4th HelpingMaria Luisa AzziniLucy MooreVincent VincentLana Shuks' 2nd helpingAlexander KoltakovAlison HeadleyAlison Headley's 2nd HelpingToula PaphitisLinda Coppens' 5th HelpingLinda Coppens' 6th HelpingLinda Coppens' 7th HelpingTherese O'KeeffeJohn SharpJohn Sharp's 2nd HelpingKatarzyna OleskaAlexandra BuckleCristina Mihailescu's 2nd HelpingBoris Novak's 3rd HelpingEster Q's 2nd HelpingAsha Sudhaker Shenoy's 2nd HelpingSusanne SchwarzFrederic Belaubre's 4th HelpingFrederic Belaubre's 5th HelpingDaniel Heller's 3rd HelpingCristina Mihailescu's 3rd HelpingAsra RaeAnita Ives' 2nd HelpingLana Shuks' 3rd HelpingAndrea JerisElena OleniucSlav Nedev's 5th HelpingSlav Nedev's 6th HelpingSlav Nedev's 7th HelpingSlav Nedev's 8th HelpingSlav Nedev's 9th HelpingKris Mercer's 2nd HelpingSuzana DzelatovicWadih MaloufSteve GostlingDamien Venditti's 4th HelpingSteve Gostling's 2nd HelpingThe Empress' KissAnita Ives' 3rd HelpingKate RattrayVincent Vincent's 2nd HelpingEster Q's 3rd HelpingSlav Nedev's 10th HelpingSlav Nedev's 11th HelpingFrederic Belaubre's 5th HelpingElizaveta SivasMike SkidmoreSusanne Schwarz' 2nd HelpingSusanne Schwarz' 3rd HelpingVincent Vincent's 3rd HelpingVincent Vincent's 4th HelpingRia Janta-Cooper's 2nd Helping


ArtFinder over Yogurt

ArtFinder Yogurt
 

 

... one day in November, something magical happened.

Louise Pirotta, a French artist living in America responded to a thread about culture in artists’ local areas. Louise said, ‘if you want culture where I live, you buy yoghurt.’

Everyone laughed and got on with their day.

And then a simple but brilliant thing happened.....

... Netherlands-based artist Boris Novak suggested the creation of a Yogurt Culture Project, and the whole thing grew from there.

 

Read more at ArtFinder.com