Food » Portfolio: Megan Fizell

Megan Renee Fizell

I am a Sydney-based art historian and writer concerned with the representation of food in the visual arts. My educational background commenced at the University of Michigan, where I majored in History of Art as well as English Literature. At UofM I acquired a broad art historical background that was further enhanced by a semester of study in Italy, as well as an art history trip to Mexico.

I completed my four-year degree in three years, with two majors and a proficiency in Latin. I immediately moved to London and began a master’s degree in Art Business at Sotheby’s Institute of Art. I graduated in April 2008 with merit and also achieved a merit on my dissertation, The Effects of Restoration on the Art Market Value of Ceramics. I subsequently wrote a tangent article considering contemporary artists exploring methods of repair and use in their work that was published in the December 2009 issue of Ceramics Monthly. In August 2010, the publication, Slow Burn - a century of Australian women artists from a private collection, I researched and co-authored was published in conjunction with an exhibition by the same title at the S.H. Ervin Gallery, Sydney. I have several forthcoming articles in publications ranging from Ceramics Monthly to Artlink and am a regular contributer to the 'Stir it Up' section of the Christian Science Monitor.

Professionally I worked first as an editorial intern at Sotheby’s Preview Magazine and then as an assistant at an urban art gallery. While working in London I had several short exhibition reviews published via online media outlets. Upon moving to Sydney, Australia I began employment as an associate in one of the leading galleries in the country and I began my own company, Tres Jolie Studios, where I work as a freelance writer, photographer and contributor to Getty Images. My food/art blog was launched at this time, and Getty later sourced many of the images shot for Feasting on Art for their collection.

I currently hold the Gallery Manager position at Brenda May Gallery in Sydney.

Category Archives: Food

Feasting on Art – 2010

12.25.10 Food, Photography

Writing :: Swide by Dolce & Gabbana :: Food & Art

11.29.10 Art, Food, Published, Writing

A short article I wrote for Feasting on Art was published in Dolce & Gabbana’s digital magazine titled Swide and was featured on the front page.

Writing :: Colour Lovers :: Food & Art Colour Project

11.12.10 Art, Food, Press, Writing

Writing :: Food & Art :: Colour Project

10.30.10 Art, Food, Writing

On my food & art blog, Feasting on Art, I am co-writing and researching a series about colour with Cassandra Edlefsen Lasch. From the introduction:

The monthly colour project considers select artworks featuring one predominant colour within the context of the pigment’s history and in relation to natural edible form. By coupling the art with a colour-specific recipe, we continue to investigate the properties of the colour of food in both their raw and cooked states. Each colour will be broken into two parallel posts, the first featuring a still life painting of food with a literal recipe translation and the second a work that capitalises upon the emotive qualities of the pigment with a conceptual recipe inspired by the mark-making technique.

Writing :: Published :: Christian Science Monitor

10.16.10 Food, Published, Writing

The posts from Feasting on Art will now regularly appear in the Culture section of The Christian Science Monitor.

“What really makes your Feasting on Art blog stand out from the bazillion food blogs we’ve slogged through is your unusual combination of food and art.
You don’t simply feature recipes, you feature great art and great artists, and then you tie them together in fascinating ways. You explain the art and the genre clearly so I am not just joining in your love affair with food and art, I am understanding some of the history behind the food and the art! Otherwise, it would be like going to a silent wine-tasting dinner. Half of the enjoyment is in the learning and understanding. And I have been fascinated with your work.
Your presentation is exquisite and so wonderfully unique. Your knowledge of art combined with your love of food results in some delightful pairings of recipes and paintings.”

-The Christian Science Monitor

Press: Virgin Blue Voyeur Magazine

10.01.10 Food, Press

Review :: Slows Bar B Q :: Food

08.08.10 Food, Writing

Slows Bar BQ, Detroit, Michigan

Standing proudly among the rubble and empty lots in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit is Slows Bar BQ (2138 Michigan Ave). Although designed to be part of the slow food movement, Slows is anything but slow. The atmosphere within the late 19th-century, exposed brick and wood paneled building hums with the anticipation of smoky-pork delight.

The menu is extensive with an array of pulled meats, ribs and sandwiches. The Reason ($7.95), on either Texas toast or a poppy seed kaiser roll, is comprised of smoked pork butt, pulled and sauced with a mound of creamy coleslaw and sour dill pickles. The meats come pre-sauced, but not overtly so, allowing the addition of one (or a combination) of the six variations of barbecue sauce found on each table, ranging from sweet and spicy to a beguiling apple and vinegary North Carolina variety. Coupling the traditional mains with a selection of classic comfort-food sides is essential. The mac-n-cheese ($2.25) is a mixture of creamy sauce and a crispy crust with the sweet brown-sugared baked beans ($2.25) complimenting the apple and hickory wood smoke flavor of the meats perfectly. Washing down the entire delicious and sticky mess is an extensive beer list with a number of Michigan favorites.

Slows is the perfect pit-stop in Metro Detroit after a ‘slow’ and lazy day to enjoy homey food at reasonable prices. slowsbbq.com