Fast food is the invention of modern man. People from the past never got the chance to indulge in the awesomeness that is a Big Mac. Until now.
German photographer Rebecca Rütten was inspired by the beauty of Renaissance paintings. Rütten uses this era of art as a base to creatively put a spotlight on contemporary fast food culture. She recently completed her series Contemporary Pieces, and we’re sure Renaissance folk would approve of her secret sauce.
Rebecca’s goal is to draw attention to disparities between social classes and the food they can afford to eat. She does this by juxtaposing the portraits and still lifes with the greasy fast food.
“In the Late Renaissance, Italian and Dutch painters dealt with the middle and lower classes,” Rütten writes in her artist statement.
“In my opinion, Fast Food Culture represents these two social classes in the United States today. To eat healthy is expensive. However, one can buy large amounts of food at a fast food restaurant for a comparatively low price.”
Using her friends as models, with many sporting tattoos as “children of the modern age,” Rebecca recreated the poses that laborers and prostitutes adopted while modeling for famous Renaissance painters.
Rütten notes, “It was significant that many of my friends try to avoid fast food. In their eyes, fast food in the United States is comprised of genetically modified items that are designed only for mass consumption. To them, the food becomes a non-edible object and loses its value as being considered food.”
(via My Modern Met)
If you enjoy these unique works of art, be sure to check out Rebecca’s full portfolio for other truly amazing pieces. Her eye for finding ways to educate on the discrepancies between today and the past is truly uncanny.