Philadelphia Museum of Art exhibit

By Lisa Angelucci
Collegian Editor
September 20, 2006

Spatulas, cutlery and wooden spoons hardly seem like art, but these items are all included in the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s collection exhibit called “Someone’s in the Kitchen: Culinary Design Objects from the Collection.”

Located in the Modern and Contemporary Design Gallery, the collection includes 35 different pieces of kitchenware. The items are organized by their functions, such as measuring, mixing, heating and storage. Many of the materials are conventional for cookware, like stainless steel or glass, but other are unique, like thermoplastic resin.

The exhibit is meant to portray the creative design elements artists have applied to even the most practical pieces. Viewers can learn about the influence of new materials that were developed in the later half of the 20th century, while marveling at the impact sociological and lifestyle changes had on something as simple as kitchen equipment.

As practicality and simplicity have become more important, the look and feel of the tools used in the kitchen has changed. Pieces have been adjusted for comfort.

Don’t think that you’ll be looking at a collection of Tupperware that rivals a college dorm room’s, however. One highlight of the exhibit is The Mini-Kitchen, designed by Joe Colombo in 1963. The compact piece includes a range, refrigerator, drawers, a cutting board, can opener and a knife box and all fits into one cubic yard of space on wheels.

“Someone’s in the Kitchen” runs through Oct. 22 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Other unique exhibits throughout Philadelphia:

“Milton Glaser: Graphic Design”—This exhibit, located in Hamilton and Arronson Galleries at 320 S, Broad St., features prints and posters created by the same man who created the “I Heart New York” logo. Milton Glaser’s most recognizable work might be plastered on T-shirts all over America, but his complete collection extends far beyond tourist memoribilia or hometown pride. His artwork will be on display through Oct. 10.

“The Kandy Project”—These photographs are the result of the collaboration between 21 area photographers and Kelicia Pitt, also known as Kandy. The exhibition first opened in Manayunk over the summer and is currently on display at the Sande Webster Gallery located at 2006 Walnut St. The collection remains there until Sept. 27, before it moves to yet another gallery in Old City. The project originated from photographer Leah McDonald’s desire to create a large body of work that portrays Kandy’s beauty and versatility. The result is a combination of Kandy’s own artistic expression, combined with the unique styles of the various photographers.

“Filtered Reflections: Spel”—Through Oct. 29, the Fireside Gallery, a part of the Main Line Unitarian Church in Devon, Pa., is hosting an exhibit of artwork by Graterford Penitentiary inmate Nicolas Dematteo. “Spel” is the prisoner’s former tag name from his days as a graffiti artist on the streets of Philadelphia. Dematteo’s current artwork overcomes the obvious limitations of prison life to creatively express his frustrations and fantasies.

“Taken With Time: A Camera Obscura Project”—The Print Center on Latimer Street commissioned three photographers to take pictures of various Philadelphia locations using an old photographic device known as camera obscura. Boxes of varying sizes with a hole in one side were placed at the Amtrak railyard, a gallery in the Philadelphia Museum of Art and other Philadelphia sites. As light passed through the hole, an inverted image appeared on the opposite, interior wall. Due to the nature of the technique, these photographs require long exposure times. In this case, one of the photos took six hours to develop. The sites often changed while the photographers were taking their pictures, and the photos depict the passage of time as well as the subjects. The exhibit runs through Nov. 11.

angeluccil1@lasalle.edu