If you thought there wasn’t a science to cooking, think again.
A new exhibit by a team of scientists, chefs and photographers from The Modernist Cuisine reveals the laboratory quality of culinary art. And art is really the only word to describe the 100 food photographs that will be on display starting Oct. 26 at Pacific Science Center in Seattle.
The large-format photographs, taken by Microsoft’s former chief technology officer turned chef/photographer, Nathan Myhrvold, and his team at Modernist Cuisine, showcase an advanced array of imaging and culinary techniques.
One photo shows all the elements of a burger caught in midair, as if they were thrown together in a frenzied last-minute meal. Another image captures the sectional perspective of canned vegetables boiling in a pot of water. Another photo shows a blueberry sliced in half and shown as an enhanced cross section.
"I hope that others share with us the child-like wonder and curiosity I feel when looking at these photos,” Myhrvold said in a release.
On the technical side, the images represent some serious innovation in food photography. The photographs, some of which will span six feet in length, were captured using techniques such as panoramic stitching, focus stacking, and microscopy, which are not often used in food photography. They offer a rare view inside the culinary landscape – the time-frozen chaos inside a spice grinder, the interior of pork as it’s roasting, vegetables growing roots as seen from the earth below.
The photographs will be on display in Seattle until Feb. 17, 2014, after which the exhibit will travel around the world for three years. The exact locations and venues are still in the works, so make sure to check back at The Modernist Cuisine’s website for updates.
For those unable to attend the exhibit, a 312-page coffee table book of the photographs will be on sale by mid-Oct. and available for purchase online.
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