~ Happy Holidays ~

December 21, 2009 | By Suzanne Stein

Filed under: Back Page

Martin Parr Untitled [meringue], from the series British Food 1995 photograph | chromogenic print 7 in. x 10 in. (17.78 cm x 25.4 cm) Acquired 2006 Collection SFMOMA Purchased through a gift of Daniel Greenberg and Susan Steinhauser and the Accessions Committee Fund © Martin Parr 2006.92.8

Martin Parr _Untitled (meringue, from the series British Food)_, 1995. Photograph | chromogenic print © Martin Parr

I’m a big fan of the photographer Martin Parr generally, and am the fan of fans of his series British Food, especially at holiday time. I love this picture: for the unnatural tangerine glow of the filling; that the edge of the crust that looks nearly as orange; and especially for that tiny bright triangle of sun in the picture’s lower right quadrant. The browned top of the meringue reminds me of the painted frosting on any Wayne Thiebaud cake. (Or of the field in the foreground of this painting.) This plain pie dressed up with the topping with the fancy name, sitting for its portrait, seems as winter holiday to me as anything, although the sunlight in this picture makes me think it must have been taken on a late-summer afternoon (“British Food,” remember, not “California Food”), autumnal dessert plate be damned.

Open Space is taking winter intermission. Like last year, we’ll be toasting our boots by the all-natural wax-chip crackling flame firelog fire, catching up on a little light reading, and overindulging in the frothy meringue dreams of holiday sleep.

The museum is open: don’t forget how nice it is during the holidays to tuck your gloves in pocket and spend an afternoon in the galleries.

If you’re housebound, or live afar: Artscope. (Just link over. It’s fun. I promise.)

Or, you could spend a little time in the Open Space archives:

Profiles + Interviews

There’s more, too. Just poke around.

Happy Solstice! Happy Holidays! Happy New Year! See you in two thousand and ten.

3 Comments |

3 Comments

Kevin Dini Says:

I spent time at the end of last week smiling in front of “British Food.”
Enjoy the season, happy 75th!
December 22nd, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Frank Lostaunau Says:

Does anybody know where I can purchase the VERY BEST LEMON MERINGUE PIE in San Francisco? gracias…
December 23rd, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Steve Hoegh Says:

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November 23rd, 2010 at 3:31 am