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Michelle Grabner, Untitled (cornflake boxes), 2024-25, solid wood and oil paint, courtesy of the artist
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Cereal
Picturing an American breakfast usually brings pancakes, eggs, two meats, and some orange juice to the forefront of people’s minds. So, how does cereal fit into this? It’s mostly thanks to Dr. John Harvey Kellogg and his brother Will. As the creators of Corn Flakes, the Kellogg brothers were interested in pulling Americans away from their meat-centric eating habits and fostering a healthier, more nutrient-dense breakfast. Their success mainly had to do with marketing. Between strong brand catchphrases and the emphasis on health, Corn Flakes started appearing on more and more grocery shelves. It wasn’t until they started marketing to children that their success was solidified. Soon, every cereal company was rushing to do the same. Artist Michelle Grabner plays with this history and imagery with her piece Untitled (cornflake box). The repeated, painted wooden boxes mimic a grocery store aisle, and the original mascot design evokes a distinctly American nostalgia. Learn more about the Kellogg brothers and their influence on breakfast culture in the United States, and find Michelle Grabner’s work in the Main Gallery of the Schneider Museum of Art.
https://www.seriouseats.com/history-of-breakfast-cereal-mascots
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Michelle Grabner, Untitled, 2024-25, sand-cast bronze and oil paint, courtesy of the artist
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Lace
While the origins of lace are highly debated, scholars agree that the first lace as we know it emerged from Italy between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Early lace patterns were named after cities from which they originated, with each area having a slightly different technique and design. Although lace is mostly manufactured today, it was once a textile skill that was passed along through generations. As a doily, it was used to protect dark wood from grease stains and water damage. In clothing, it was used as a status symbol for the upper class due to the laborious effort it took to produce. Its integration into all classes and fashion was primarily thanks to the women who wove it. The known history of these women and their craft is limited because lace weavers were not given guild representation. The gender politics that exist within lace drew the attention of artist Michelle Grabner. Her sand-cast bronze series of different lace fabrics captures the delicacy of the lace in a permanent and heavy medium. The juxtaposition of lace and bronze, both aesthetically and historically, blends to highlight both the hardness and softness of the piece. Learn more about the history of lace with the link below, and find Michelle Grabner’s bronze-cast lace in the Main Gallery of the Schneider Museum of Art.
https://www.artandobject.com/news/handmade-lace-forgotten-women-behind-trade
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Michelle Grabner, Untitled (ham tins), 2024-25, steel ham tins and silver leaf, courtesy of the James Cohan Gallery
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Ham Tins
The relationship between canned meat and war goes back as far as the Civil War. In 1822, the William Underwood Company found financial success by selling canned ham to the U.S. Army during the Civil War. The Iconic SPAM cans would follow in these footsteps during World War II. Rationing meant civilians and military personnel were forced to stretch resources. In Europe, inspections of pantries were done to make sure no one was storing more than their allotted amount. This meant that homemakers had to get creative with shelf-stable food and a lack of fresh produce. People in the U.S. were already accustomed to making their food stretch. SPAM became a common pantry item during the Great Depression as it was cheap and versatile. Its worldwide usage is directly tied to World War II, with overseas troops distributing cans (and littering remains) everywhere from England to the Philippines. Artist Michelle Grabner plays on this history with her piece Untitled (ham tins). The collection of open ham tins is reminiscent of trash left behind, but the story they tell ties back to innovation, sacrifice, and colonialism. Learn more about the connection between canned meat and war with the link below, and find Untitled (ham tins) in the Main Gallery of the Schneider Museum of Art.
https://wartimewisdom.com/blog/tinnedmeat
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"Also alluding to consumption in the home are the steel ham cans that make up Untitled (cat. no. 37, p. 25). The cans are emptied of their contents, made precious with silver leaf, and exhibited in a scattered array on the gallery floor. Precooked, preserved, and perfect for sandwiches, canned ham feeds working families; Grabner’s tins thus carry class overtones and become upwardly mobile as art. Unlike the wood cereal boxes, the tins are actual, store bought, readymade objects; the silvery surface treatment helps transform them and adds nuance to the artist’s selection and isolation of them from the flux of everyday reality." -Sue Taylor in the exhibition catalogue, Michelle Grabner: Underdone Potato (pg. 14)
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From the Archive
(VIDEO) Creative Industries Discussion: Louise Mandumbwa
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