The Plush Life of Food: A Collector's Story
(And please don't eat the daikon)
Not every plush-food creator thinks of her pieces as art. Marks corresponded with a Japanese woman who was busy “crocheting little sushis” and extremely realistic fruit, with oranges that you could peel in sections. The woman had no interest in a gallery showing. She just makes the stuff for her grandchildren.
Later in the day, Marks arranges her plush food into a conga line in the living room. Behold: the entire food pyramid laid out on the floor. The circle of life in felt. Since “STUFFED,” she has acquired a mushroom, a banana and one egg. It would have been dangerously easy to buy a dozen eggs and display them in a real carton.
Humans have anthropomorphized animals for centuries. In urban cultures, where people had little contact with real animals, stuffed animals became popular. Does the plush-food phenomenon indicate our growing disconnect with real food?
Maybe. For health reasons, Marks tries to adhere to a strict gluten- and sugar-free diet. Doughnuts, however, are her weakness, being, as she puts it, “so delectable.”
PLUSH FOOD: A WHO'S WHO
Heidi Kenney: doughnuts, milk carton men, toast, vegetables, ice cream sandwiches, cakes, cupcakes, www.mypapercrane.com
Shawnimals: pocket pork and sausage friends (looking like they’re plotting something), www.shawnimals.com
Dan Goodsell: Mr. Toast, Shakybacon, Joe the egg, Clem the lemon, www.theimaginaryworld.com
Jelene Morris: cupcakes and candycorn, www.jelene.com
Kate Sutton: cozy tea set, pirate peas and assorted vegetables, www.katesutton.co.uk
I Heart Guts: Frankenfoods (a.k.a., cheese with fangs, green steak, bloodthirsty martini). Also, human organs in plush format. www.iheartguts.com
Anna Chambers: apples with worms, poop with corn bits, www.annachambers.com
Lazysmash: evil ice cream, www.lazysmash.com
Steff Bomb: carrot, 10” Mr. Lertch asparagus (comes with angry attitude and can of spray paint), www.steffbomb.com
Shane Geil: roast chicken, Hello Maggot in rabbit or mouse pajamas, www.purpleflavor.com
Crystal Chesney-Thompson: Haminal, the pink plush pork in a can, www.haminal.com
FunFun: toast men by Mark Giglio, www.superfunfun.com
Planet Tokki: tofu, carrots, beets, www.tokkisom.com
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