In some old cartoons, characters will be driven so mad with hunger that the very faces and bodies of those around them magically transform into gravy-smothered pork chops and deep-fried chicken drumsticks. Kalamazoo, MI-based graphic designer Kristina Lechner must have those kinds of invasive thoughts all the time, because her specialty is turning inedible household objects to very edible-looking fake food. She sees food where there is no food to be seen. In one artfully produced picture after another, Lechner has created what amounts to a starving man’s worst nightmare: a world where everything looks delicious but nothing can be eaten. Here, popcorn is merely wadded up yellow paper. Sushi is erasers. Ice cream is a goddamned light bulb. Imagine finding that out on a hot summer day. The Longhorn Steakhouse has long claimed that “you can’t fake steak,” but Lechner can and would fake steak, probably using kitchen sponges or Styrofoam to carry out the illusion. Prints of Lechner’s ingenious series, Fake Food, are available at her website. She also displays her work at her Instagram account, where her motto is “0% food and 100% household items.”
During these warm weather months, people will probably want to make some s’mores. Lechner makes hers out of dishwasher detergent and eye shadow, then she roasts them over an open smartphone. Yummy.
Oreo cookies? Don’t be silly. It’s merely checkers and tile caulk. Delicious, delicious tile caulk.
Not even Doritos are sacred. Lechner makes her version of the popular nacho chips from padded shipping envelopes. The flavor is not cool ranch. It is quiet disappointment with a hint of existential despair.
[via Laughing Squid]