Misconceptions

Misconceptions is a passion project which explores the nuances and complexities of food choice through the medium of stop motion. People—whether wealthy or low income—are often judged for the ways they spend their money on food. When a parent working hard to make ends meet buys fast food or an ice cream treat for their family, their choices are deemed irresponsible or not healthy enough, without much thought given to why those choices are being made. When a middle- or upper-class parent buys organic produce for their family, their choice is seen as not only responsible, but virtuous.

And yet, there is often more than meets the eye.

Sometimes a milkshake or fries bought by a mother living below the poverty line is an act of love for her children—a gesture of shared joy that says, “I can’t give you everything, but I can give you this.” Sometimes a microwaved meal is more indicative of a busy work schedule than irresponsibility. Sometimes a grocery cart full of the finest organic produce is an act of self-righteousness and buying status.

Too often, we make sweeping judgments of good/bad, right/wrong, smart/dumb, based on the choices that people make. Even worse, we too often generalize, falsely assuming that whole communities, cultures, or families of certain income levels make the same choices about what they eat for the same reasons.

My work challenges these misconceptions and looks to see the ways in which food choices hold more meaning than what meets the eye.

I encourage you to think about those nuances as you view the work and be aware of the assumptions you make as you first see an image. Do you associate certain types of food with people from particular income levels or situations? Do you unconsciously assign designators such as “good/bad” or “responsible/irresponsible?” What stories are you writing in your own head about someone choosing the foods you see? Does looking at the image from a different perspective change the narrative?