

Artist's Statement
Who puts food on your table? No, I don't mean who goes to the grocery store, I mean, "who grew the food you get to enjoy every day? Who kept the animals fed? Cared for the fields? Who wakes up every morning ungodly early to milk the cow, so you can have cream in your coffee?" For most people, the generic answer is "oh well probably some farmer". Yeah, sure that might be true, but it's not the whole story.
I'm not saying everyone needs to grow all their own food, just suggesting that there is a disconnection between the food we consume and those who provide it.
This work is intended to highlight that disconnect, many people might recognize the eggs, or milk, or maybe the butcher wrapped meat in this painting, but not many will recognize an old milking machine.
Maybe not everyone should have to take part in the farming of food, but understanding where your food comes from IS important and I hope that this work has exposed you to something new.
Dad's Hat

Zoe-Blake Van Den Hurk completed this oil painting for her Advanced Painting class while attending Nipissing University, Fine Arts.