Andrew Graham-Dixon on exhibitions of consumer kitsch and lost innocence
WELCOME to Silvia's place. Make yourself at home. It feels like 1958 in here get an eyeful of that convex mirror, the fisheye job with the frame like a futuristic musical instrument. Fancy a drink? Check out the genuine 1950s bar ahd dig the details just look at those dinky little cock-tail glass pattern embossed on red leatherette. Oh, and don't forget to admire Silvia's pictures, especially the frames gilded wrought-iron numbers, floral or basketwork style, she picked them up in car boot and jumble sales, some for just 50 pence. Wonderful home-maker, Silvia.
Meet the lady herself. She's the tall one in the pink and green floral smock, co-ordinating pink-spotted tights and fetching suede booties. Billed as "a legend in her own lunchtime", Silvia Ziranek was promoting the publication of her book. Very Food, with a reading, tasting and special installation at Nigel Greenwood Books. Ziranek is best known as a performance artist, the thinking woman's Bruce McLean (he was her tutor at art school). Her latest project, an "artist's publication" is billed as "A must. Seminal, polemic, domestic politicale in short comme chez nous. The only book for the conscious cook." Like her art, it has a distinctive flavour sickly sweet, with a bitter aftertaste.
Very Food is a stew of words and images. The images which you can see in the originals on the walls of Nigel Greenwood Books are photographs, peculiar minglings of the knick-knacks Ziranek collects so assiduously, complete with cryptic logos. A toy beefeater props up a 1950s detergent packet, a cute Canute holding up the Tide. "Always poivre" reads the enigmatic inscription if Ziranek has a fault, she can be a teensy weensy bit pretentious. For the satirical substance, turn to the texts....
