Some installation shots of my paintings at the Gallery Different, London. The exhibtion was arranged to coincide with the premiere of my documentary on Pied a Terre, and Life on the Douro was also screened, along with a tasting of Quevedo Port Wine and Rococo Chocolates.
Three Large Amphora Paintings at Gallery Different, London
It was a significant step forward for The Art and Politics of Eating. Next stop will be in New York in November, with an exhibition at La Nacional, but in the meantime, other projects are being developed, including finishing The Great British Chilli and returning to Cromarty to finish a documentary on fishing and farming in Scotland – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMpAt5rKn3U
Nine Small Paintings, Gallery Different, London
Four Waitress Paintings at Gallery Different, London
With the British elections now over, and with Brexit negotiations about to start, the first screening of Life on the Douro in five years on June 12 is a timely lesson in the complexities of international trade and treaties.
As a consequence of its wars with France, Britain began to source some of its wines from the Douro region in Portugal. Brandy was added to preserve it on the long sea voyage, and Port wine began to develop into the drink we know and love today.
Initially, the demand caused a decline in the quality of wine produced. Then, an earthquake devastated Lisbon in 1755, and in order to raise money to rebuild it, the Portuguese decreed that Douro wine could only be exported through Vila Nova de Gaia, opposite Oporto, so that the quality and production could be regulated and taxed. That meant, however, that only a handful of enterprises that were able to afford warehouses and large scale operations were able to produce Port, and it stayed that way for two centuries.
When Portugal joined the EU in 1986, the latter decreed that it amounted to a monopoly and that smaller wineries in the Douro Valley could also produce and export their Port, allowing for a rejuvenation of the region.
Just as international trade has maintained Douro wine production, Rococo Chocolates sources its cocoa from the Grenada Chocolate Company and the The Grenada Organic Cocoa Farmers’ Cooperative, with the growers and chocolate makers being equally and well rewarded. In turn, young people are being attracted back onto the land and processing the organic cocoa on the island maximises the value that can be put directly back into the Grenadian economy and is used to develop the infrastructure.
Sustainability is a vastly complex issue, and every purchase is a vote for one type of production or another. Besides getting Port and Chocolate worth more than the ticket price, part of the ticket goes to those smaller producers in Portugal and Grenada, and thus their respective rural communities and way of life.
On June 12, Life on the Douro, my documentary about the 300 year history of the Port producing region in Portugal, will be screened in four parts, with a different Quevedo Port Wine and matching Rococo Chocolates served during each part at Gallery Different, 14 Percy Street, London W1T 1DR. Info and tickets here – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/life-on-the-douro-port-and-chocolate-tickets-34286663333
Most of the ticket price goes to support the chocolate growers and the smaller Quevedo Winery. My intention, too, is to produce a video about Rococo Chocolates that would be screened at future events, bringing into profile the issues, once again, of how fair trade can have a positive effect on people’s lives. Chantal Coady https://www.rococochocolates.com/pages/all-about-chantal who founded Rococo Chocolates, will be on hand to explain the chocolates and the work that they are doing.
A good turn out on June 12 would do a lot to move things forward. Life on the Douro took me about a year to complete over a period of three years, with the three trailers above giving a glimpse into how it developed and expanded. It never got the audience it should have had but it’s never too late, and hopefully this mix of social history, Port and chocolate will bring it better fortunes in the near future.
Here are the Rococo Chocolates tasting notes, not to be missed, each with a matching Quevedo Port:
Madagascar 64% Cocoa Single Origin Dark Chocolate Bar – This chocolate has the unmistakable hallmarks of Madagascan criollo cocoa, tons of red fruit, citrus, great balance and long finish. The Pinot Noir of the chocolate world. One of the all time favourites!
Cardamom Organic White Chocolate Artisan Bar – Memories from my childhood, the wonderfully aromatic, sweetly spiced cardamom is slowly released from the grasp of the cocoa: a beautifully balanced Rococo Classic – keeps winning awards.
Spice Island Organic Dark Chocolate Artisan Bar – This is a tribute to the Grenada Chocolate Company and the island’s famous spices. We received the 2014 Ruby Award ‘For outstanding contribution to Business Development to the benefit of Grenada’.
Roald Dahl: Frobscottle & Snozzcumber White Chocolate Bar – Fresh green and pink phizzwhizzing colours and flavours in this cocktail of raspberry, strawberry, cucumber and mint.
Sea Salt Organic Milk Chocolate Artisan Bar – Inspired walking on a Cornish beach, grains of sea salt caught on my lips mingled with clotted cream ice cream! The salt crystals highlight the caramel notes in the milk chocolate.
Pied a Terre – Trailer 1 – Andy McFadden, Head Chef
I am currently the artist-in-resident at the Michelin-starred Pied à Terre restaurant with some of my food paintings installed there and have finished a documentary on the restaurant. Its official premiere will be held at Gallery Different on June 6 during a special one week exhibition of my paintings. Blanche Vaughan, food editor of House and Gardens https://blanchevaughan.wordpress.com/about/, will present the film and moderate the discussion about quality food producers and the role of quality restaurants in sustaining those producers and the rural environment. Owner David Moore, Yun Hider of The Mountain Food Company, Alasdair Hughson of Keltic Seafare, and Richard Vaughan of Huntsham Court Farm, all featured in the documentary, have confirmed that they will be attending the event.
The documentary looks at the restaurant’s relationship with a few of its forty suppliers and how that contributes to a sustainable food system. We often disassociate sustainability with high-end restaurants but their need for top quality produce means that they help maintain many small rural businesses that in turn maintains rural life and communities.
Pied à Terre – Trailer 2, David Moore
Pied à Terre – Trailer 3, with Yun Hider foraging in Wales
Pied à Terre – trailer 4, with Richard Vaughn of Huntsham Court Farm
The premiere at La Nacional was a big success, introduced by food writer Andrew Smith with chile and chocolate expert Maricel Presilla, author of Peppers of the Americas, doing a fantastic overview of the history of how peppers migrated into the cuisines of the world.
In the late 90’s, I was somewhat obsessed with chillies, cooking with them, reading about them, and making paintings about them, the hundreds of varieties with their different shapes and colours. Slightly less obsessed but still love them, I still make new chile paintings and hope to do an entire exhibition of them at one point.
Yellow Scotch Bonnet Chile Pepper
Ghost Chile Pepper
Trinidad Scorpion Chile Pepper
Two Poblando Chilies
Peter Pepper
Four Habaneros
For The Love Of Three Chilies
Five Cascabels
Two Green Chiles
Three Green Chiles 2
Red and Green Chiles 2
Red and Green Chiles 1
Chile and Two Olives
Chile and Olive
Digital Prints
Three Habaneros
This is the first trailer for my new documentary “The Great British Chilli” that will talk about the influences chillies and spicy foods have had on food in the UK, and how it all reflects changes in British cuisine and eating habits over the last couple of decades.
I’m back in Spain after a very successful trip screening my films Philadelphia, New York, and Toronto. Arribes was shown at Bryn Mawr and Barnard, and Spanish Grapes at NYU. There were admin problems at the latter that prevented organising a wine tasting, but there was an hour-long discussion afterward, and the event will be repeated, complete with wine, in October.
There were two Spanish Grape screening and wine dinner events at New York Vintners and at the Globe Bistro (where Barry Brown, president of the Spanish Wine Society of Canada presented the wines) in Toronto, proving to be a dynamic, entertaining and educational format that will be used in the future, including in London on June 11 at the London Cooking Project where I’ll be having a pop-up exhibition in June. More information soon.
“The Art and Politics of Eating” en América del Norte
Las próximas acciones promocionales con proyecciones y cenas tendrán lugar en Philadelphia, Nueva York y Toronto en abril, en Valencia en mayo y en Londres en junio. Toda la información y novedades en http://theartandpoliticsofeating.com/april/
13 abril – Proyección del documental “Arribes” en Bryn Mawr College con el seminario Food and Identity in SpainCarpenter Library, B21, 17h. bit.ly/1nQhYET
16 abril – New York Vintners acogerá la proyección de “Spanish Grapes“ y “Spanish Gold“ con una presentación de aceites de alta gama, de los vinos participantes y una cena maridaje. bit.ly/1VeJRnC
18 abril – Proyección y cata de vinos con “Spanish Grapes“ organizada por The NYU Economics Department y Entrepreneurship Lab Wine Clubs. Más detalles de este evento pronto.
21 abril – Presentación de mi documental “Arribes” en el Barnard College. Lehman Auditorium, 202 Altschul Hall, Barnard College, Broadway, West 117th Street. 18h 30. Entrada libre. Coloquio sobre agricultura, sostenibilidad y gastronomía.
25 abril – Toronto. Presentación de mi documental “Raíces Valencianas” durante la Conferencia sobre la industria alimentaria en Terroir Symposium.
27 abril – Toronto. El reconocido restaurante Globe Bistro ha preparado una cena maridaje http://bit.ly/1QZAG8S. Los vinos serán presentados por el fundador y director del Spanish Wine Society of Canada, Barry Brown. bit.ly/1R0gYIL
Además en mayo en Valencia, proyección de “Spanish Grapes” con cata de vinos. Más detalles pronto.
A lo largo de 2 semanas en junio en Londres, en colaboración con The London Cooking Project http://www.londoncookingproject.com y el chef Oliver Rowe tendrá lugar una exposición de mis pinturas y proyecciones de mis documentales “Spanish Grapes”, “Spanish Gold”, “Vivanco” y “Arribes”.
The Art and Politics of Eating project is continuing to develop with screenings and wine dinners in Philadelphia, New York and Toronto in April, in Valencia in May, and at the London Cooking Project in June. A few other events and details have not been confirmed as yet, and updates will be posted at http://theartandpoliticsofeating.com/april
April 13 – I have been invited to screen Arribes at Bryn Mawr College as part of course on Food and Identity in Spain bit.ly/1nQhYET Carpenter Library, B21, 5pm. Entry free.
April 16 – New York Vintners will host a screening of Spanish Grapes and Spanish Gold bit.ly/1VeJRnC with an Extra Virgin Olive Oil presentation, a wine presention and a dinner focusing on olive oil and paired wines.
April 18 – Screening and wine tasting hosted by The NYU Economics Department y Entrepreneurship Lab Wine Clubs. More details soon.
April 21 – Presentation of my Arribes documentary at Barnard College as part of the course “Political and Culinary Culture”. 6:30pm Lehman Auditorium, 202 Altschul Hall, Barnard College, Broadway at West 117th Street. Entry free.
Going on to Toronto, I’ve been invited to present my Valencian Roots documentary at the major food industry conference the Terroir Symposium on April 25 with an early 9am start – http://www.terroirsymposium.com/program/
On April 27, top restaurant the Globe Bistro will host a Spanish Grapes film-wine dinner http://bit.ly/1QZAG8S. Barry Brown, founder and chairman of the Spanish Wine Society of Canada bit.ly/1Z3Jc8G will present the wines.
In May, there will be a Spanish Grapes screening and tasting in Valencia that was delayed due to circumstances beyond our control.
Later in June and back on this side of the Atlantic, I’ll be collaborating with The London Cooking Project http://www.londoncookingproject.com/ and chef Oliver Rowe in June with a pop-up exhibition of my paintings, screenings of Spanish Grapes, Spanish Gold, Vivanco and Arribes, a panel discussion on food, sustainability and ethics and another on “Is Food Art?” over a two week period. More information in April.
A second, bigger tour is already being planned for the autumn that will include events that could not be arranged in April due to schedules and other circumstances.
and prize winning olive oil producer La Alquería http://almazaralaalqueria.com/ for helping sponsor this. More sponsorship information will available soon.
The Art and Politics of Eating, paintings and photography.
Red Coffee Pot
Inaugural exhibition of The Art and Politics of Eating, exploring the relationship between different art forms, food and wine. With paintings byZev Robinson, photography by Albertina Torres, and a series of screenings and wine and food tastings events. More information contact albertinatorres@gmail.com
Embassy Tea Gallery 195-205 Union Street, London SE1 0LN
November 3-14, 2015 11am-6pm
Private View: November 4, 2015 6-9 pm
SPANISH GOLD, Thursday 5 Nov.
Iberica Canary Wharf with expert Judy Ridgway.
Spanish Gold Tasting at Iberica Canaray Wharf
Six Olives and Red Bowl
Zev Robinson filming Spanish Gold
Zev Robinson filming Spanish Gold
Zev Robinson filming Spanish Gold
Eight Olives, by Zev Robinson.
SPANISH GRAPES, Monday 9 Nov. Copa de Cava, Camino Blackfriars.
With Spanish Wine Lover‘s Amaya Cervera, one of Spain’s leading wine writers, doing the presentation. Not to be missed for anyone interested in the diversity of Spanish grapes and wines.
International expert Judy Ridgway will lead on November 5th in London a guided tasting of eight Spanish extra virgin olive oils around the screening of “Spanish Gold” a documentary about the culture and production of olive oil in Spain.
After six years, thousands of kilometres, changes of focus and titles, and obstacles overcome, our latest documentary Spanish Grapes will be premiering on June 29 at Copa de Cava in London, followed by a wine tasting of wines from around Spain.
The hour long film features interviews with leading figures John Radford, Manuel Moreno, Norrel Robertson MW, Giles Cooke MW, Mauricio Gonzalez, covering Sherry, Cava, Rioja, Ribera, Priorat, making wine, changes in production over the last couple of decades, the challenges of marketing and exportation, and much more, from the biggest producers to a small natural wine maker.
A series of other events are being planned for both Europe and North America over the next couple of years.
Copa de Cava, 33 Blackfriars Lane, London EC4V 6EP June 29, 2015 – Doors open: 6:00pm. Screening 6:30 pm. Wine tasting: 7:30 pm. Special menu available for £10 Free for trade.
