Junk Gold Is Replacing Our Culture
In issue 7: Come Dekit Magazine interviewed Madrid-based artists Rodrigo Sánchez Picazo and Maria von Bernard about their project Junk Gold.
Junk Gold is a series of photographs depicting fast food items dipped in gold. Even though this might sound appealing, the result is grotesque and eye opening.
Their work shows us how we are losing our cultures held within food worldwide to the easily accessible bargain food. In his interview Picazo states that, “Value is not the same as cost.” He follows this by explaining hamburgers might be the same price, or cheaper, than something made at home but, “taking the time to make one for yourself and your loved ones used to be a pleasant, social ritual.” It used to be “a way to bond with family and friends.”
A lot of our culture comes from the food we eat. There is history in the ingredients we use and stories being weaved as we cook a meal. Rodrigo Sánchez Picazo and Maria von Bernard tell Dekit about their own history being told by food.
“My mother always told me about the fun she had eating with my grandparents, brothers, and sisters when she was young. My generation grew up eating Happy Meals, having fun in their playgrounds and with their toys. Even if I know this kind of food is not good for anyone, fast food chains have made a great job manufacturing an emotional bond with them; creating happy memories that will last forever.”
The more generations that indulge in fast food and create emotional memories with them, the less they will be inclined to cook their own meals. More people, young and old, are forsaking the meals their parents and grandparents made. Instead of eating around a dinner table with mom’s meatloaf they remember eating in separate areas of the kitchen and living room, watching tv, and eating fries.
Picazo continues by stating, “As long as these immoral practices stay legal, it would be almost impossible to effectively change the perspective we have on these companies.”
Fast food is consuming us and our history just as quickly as we are consuming fast food. But these big chains are not entirely to blame. The artists state that, “In the end, we are the ones responsible for our choices, and the freedom to choose our lifestyle is something that should not change. Sometimes, it even might be a reasonable option, as long as it doesn’t become a habit. What really should change is the perception we have of our own time, health, and money.”
We all need to take a look at our kitchen, dinner table, and wallets and wonder if we have enough time to create a memory based on our culture, or if we’d rather lose it to a quick bite.
To read more of Dekit’s interview with Junk Gold creator’s Rodrigo Sánchez Picazo and Maria von Bernard please read Issue 7: Come here!
Rodrigo Sánchez Picazo:
https://www.behance.net/rodrigory
Maria von Bernard:
https://www.instagram.com/mery.vonbernard/
https://www.behance.net/vonBernard