Saturday, September 19, 2009

Mark Menjivar at Portland's Ampersand Vintage

Famous Fridge Photographer Mark Menjivar will be showing some of his photos at the Ampersand Vintage Gallery on SE 39th and Alberta in Portland, Oregon starting next week. Mark's documentary photographs of American's refrigerators is a fascinating study of how our lifestyles are interconnected to our food habits.
You Are What You Eat is a series of portraits made by examining the interiors of refrigerators in homes across the Untied States.

For three years I traveled around the country exploring the issue of hunger. The more time I spent speaking and listening to individual stories, the more I began to think about the foods we consume and the effects they have on us as individuals and communities. An intense curiosity and questions about stewardship led me to begin to make these unconventional portraits.






A refrigerator is both a private and a shared space. One person likened the question, "May I photograph the interior of your fridge?" to asking someone to pose nude for the camera. Each fridge is photographed "as is." Nothing added, nothing taken away.
These are portraits of the rich and the poor. Vegetarians, Republicans, members of the NRA, those left out, the under appreciated, former soldiers in Hitler’s SS, dreamers, and so much more. We never know the full story of one's life.
My hope is that we will think deeply about how we care. How we care for our bodies. How we care for others. And how we care for the land.


MARK MENJIVAR: You Are What You Eat
Sept. 23th thru Oct. 25th, 2009
Opening Reception Wednesday, Sept. 23th, 6-10 PM
2916 NE Alberta St, B Portland, OR
503.805.5458
ampersandvintage@mac.com

No comments: