I volunteer at a regional food bank in southern Oregon, which supplies local agencies rather than
individuals. We’ve had difficulty
recruiting volunteers because of this. Part of the problem is that
we do not communicate who we really serve in our facilities, hence to prospective
volunteers.
I’ve begun a project of photographing recipients at the
nineteen food pantries and community kitchens served by the United Community
Action Network (UCAN) food bank in Douglas and Josephine Counties, Oregon.
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"Hunger", proposed as a billboard poster, 7' x 14', digital file
James Thatcher copyright 2018 |
The idea behind this project is to
communicate who we really serve, those in need, speaking their untold stories in the facilities where we serve them.
Let’s humanize our facilities in order to more effectively engage those
who are considering volunteering with us.
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Installation proposal, 24 units, each 20" x 16" x 10".
What if it were presented with a pallet of Campbell's Soup,
to be donated to the food bank after the exhibit? |
Banana boxes are the ubiquitous
containers used to ship, transfer, and distribute food in Oregon, and are an organic choice to support this imagery.
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| The nature of “boxness” comes into play constantly: what goes inside the box? |
This portrait featuring Campbell’s soup draws a clear art historical reference, as well as a social reference to soup kitchens from the Great Depression, and a regional reference to the Campbell's Soup production facility just south of Portland, Oregon.
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"Shelf Stable", 2018, 19" x 35", Black and white gesso, latex paint
on reconstructed banana boxes, Campbell's Soup, rope light.
James Thatcher copyright 2018 |
While conceptually astute, I maintain
a studio for my practice. It’s a practice
that is hands on, technical, and sometimes messy. I draw, paint, build, sculpt,
and install, exploring materials and processes, often eschewing archival
stability.
Cardboard is not archival. Each banana box has seen multiple cycles, and has become stained, stickered and worn.
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"Relief", 20" x 16" x 60", 2018, banana boxes with florescent light.
What if several filled a space? |
There is nothing pretty or glamorous about feeding
the hungry. It’s urgent work with individuals who are sometimes
emotional, sometimes desperate, sometimes unwashed. The need is now,
forget tomorrow and its worries.
Archival, really?
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"Food Insecurity", 2018, 96" x 80", Black gesso and latex paint
on banana boxes, stapled to loading pallets.
James Thatcher copyright 2018 |
However, moving moments can be had in
the midst of serving this population….
Meeting the woman in Roseburg who
shows up at 9am and stands, waiting for hours until the doors of the food
pantry open at 1pm, so that she can obtain produce.
The grateful couple
who accessed their local pantry in Reedsport for years, who have now begun
volunteering there.
I met an elderly man
in Myrtle Creek’s food pantry who was a long-distance trucker, and through it
became disabled with sciatica.
It’s caused me to be very conscientious about
how I handle food during my volunteer shifts.
These are the faces of normal
folks: kids, moms, grandparents. Who can afford not to be compassionate?
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"The Light Shines Through Our Imperfections", 2018, 40" x 48",
Black and white gesso, latex paint on banana boxes
stapled to a loading pallet, two florescent lights.
James Thatcher copyright 2018 |
Art as social practice necessarily confronts.
This project began as a critique of UCAN’s lack of communication, while
providing a solution for it. This portfolio expands the discussion about food
insecurity in our region, it promotes the Oregon Food Bank (located in
Portland), and seeks to enlist viewers into the cause.
Change happens one heart at a time.
That includes mine, swept up and renewed in the service to others. The
abundance of this heart expresses itself in artwork that promotes
compassion, encouragement, and hope.
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Custom Campbell's Soup can label, 8" x 4" nominal dimension, 2018, digital file.
James Thatcher copyright 2018 |
Join me as an agent of cultural evolution.
