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You Are What You Eat
" In 1989 I was a contributing photographer to an exhibition of food photographs at the Association of Photographers Gallery in London. I knew my fellow contributing photographers well and knew that all of them would use to exhibition to further their careers by producing big glossy colourful mouthwatering food photos.
At the time I had worked a lot with the emerging Whole food movement and especially with David Canter who opened Cranks as the first serious whole food restaurant in London. The rise of supermarkets through this period saw the start of the fast track farming that produced poorer quality supermarket food. Many others were appalled by the over use of chemicals in food production and the organic movement was formed.
I also felt that the explosion of cookery books, many of which I had illustrated with photographs, didn't really connect people with cooking but were a sort of soft porn that were browsed over and not actually used for cooking.
I was very concerned that we were loosing touch with what we were eating and subsequent food scandals that still go on today proved my fears right. So I decided to make this series of photos, each named with a recipe title, as my protest against soft porn food photography and a a warning. It caused such a stir that John Walters searched me out to do an interview for his BBC Radio 4 program. I hope you enjoy them". Paul E Williams.
