Scrolling through Instagram, one will come across many food memes and food jokes. But there is a section in the world of food humor that takes the craftsmanship to the next level, where artists create aesthetic and funny stills with food. Lucia Litman has made playing with her food an expertise. On her Instagram account, she adds googly eyes and cookie words to food, giving food an opinion (I will never be able to look at an avocado the same way). She also mixes it up, with the more refined pantone series whose matching tones and beautiful colors give a serenity of food and color. Paste caught up with Litman, and gained insight into her philosophy behind food, art and humor.
Paste: What inspired you to start ‘playing with your food?’?
Lucia Litman: I’ve always been obsessed with food – it’s what consumes my thoughts from the moment I wake up to when I go to bed. It’s my favorite thing to talk, read, write and think about. Sadly though, I’ve seen many?friends and family members develop negative relationships with food – people start to think of certain foods as ‘bad’ and the joy of eating and cooking?disappears from their lives. I don’t know if my work is making any difference, but I like to think that it?helps keep food fun and reminds people that food and gathering together with friends and family is one of life’s greatest pleasures, and not something to fear or avoid.
P: What comes first for you: food or humor??
LL: Food definitely, I’m inspired by what’s around me and what’s in season. I will usually swing by the farmers market every week, see what’s new and then see if I can add a humorous element to it?
P: Can you take me through the process of creating a funny food picture??
LL: I walk to and from work every day, and will usually listen to some Drake?on my commute – most of my ideas come to me then! San Francisco is very beautiful and it’s hard to not feel creative and inspired every day?when I walk by the Golden Gate and Alcatraz. Usually I’ll write?down my ideas and try and block off a few hours on the weekend to execute them all! Sometimes I do get so excited by?something I come up with that I have to shoot and post it that same day!?
**P: **So it’s fair to say you’re a big Drake fan?
LL: Massive drake fan. He’s pretty much what I listen to 80% of the time – it’s become a bit of a joke among my friends, any time there is any drake news I get about 15 texts sharing it with me! I also have several drake-related sweatshirts that have become wardrobe staples.?
P: Anything else you’d like to add??
LL: Just a big thank you to everyone who’s believed in me and supported me. When I graduated college I was in a job that I really disliked that wasn’t creative at all, and I had an amazing group of people at Sweetgreen take a chance on me when I had no experience. It’s something?that I’ll be forever grateful for. And of course, a big shout out to my mom for telling me it’s okay to be?different and always letting me play with my food.
Madina Papadopoulos is a New York-based freelance writer, author, and regular contributor to Paste. You can follow her adventures on Instagram and Twitter.
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