Spicing South Africa: Exploring the Role of Food and Spices in Berni Searle's Conceptual Art

Abstract

This article examines the role of food and spices in the conceptual art of the South African artist Berni Searle. It focuses on the visual representation of food, spices and culinary traditions through the exploration of her series "Colour Me", which includes photographic installations: "Traces" (1999), "Looking Back" (1999), "Girl" (1999), along with her video installation "Snow White". All these pieces reference in differing ways food, spices or the traditions tied to them. Searle also uses gastronomic imagery to comment on topics such as slavery. As is evident from her work, food and spices are not necessarily associated with the preparation of food.

Opsomming
Hierdie artikel ondersoek die rol van voedsel en speserye in die konsepsuele kunswerke van die Suid-Afrikaanse kunstenaar Berni Searle. Die klem val op die visuele voorstelling van voedsel, speserye en die kookkunstradisies deur middel van 'n verkenning van haar reeks "Colour Me", wat ook fotografiese installasies insluit: "Traces" (1999), "Looking Back" (1999), "Girl" (1999), en die video-installasie "Snow White". Al hierdie stukke verwys op verskillende wyses na voedsel, speserye of die tradisie wat daaraan gekoppel word. Searle maak ook gebruik van gastronomiese beelde om kommentaar te lewer op slawerny, en soos duidelik blyk uit haar werk word voedsel en speserye nie noodwendig geassosieer met die bereiding van voedsel nie.