Earlier this morning, Maddy Shaw posted a photo entitled “Brexit: A Still Life” to her Facebook, and in a few short hours it has been shared over five thousand times.
This simple photo displays a diverse array of food and drink products from all over Europe in one corner of a cutting board, and a can of beans in the other, illustrating a complex situation in the most rudimentary and honest way: overnight, the choices in Britain have shrunk, and culturally, it’s become more, well, boring.
Of course, the political and economic ramifications of the vote to split from the EU have a much deeper impact than what is stocked in the kitchen pantry, much of which will only be revealed in retrospect, but Maddy’s cheeky photo asks the question on everyone’s mind: Why stifle a rich and culturally diverse population? Or, put another way, why choose beans on toast when you have the option to enjoy the very best that Europe has to offer?
We love seeing how the art world responds to politics, but would prefer if people could see a good thing when it’s right in front of them. Close-mindedness and blandness are not qualities we admire.