Behind the Scenes: Julie Bozzi, American Food

Go behind the scenes with Marley Whistler during the installation of Julie Bozzi’s American Food, 1980–92, acquired for the permanent collection in 2019. The sculptural installation consists of an oak cabinet with drawers containing miniature reproductions of American food products, each carefully handmade by the artist and displayed under glass, like scientific specimens from a natural history museum. The food items are categorized into distinct genres, including cereals, donuts, snack cakes, and breakfast meats. Bozzi, a longtime resident of Fort Worth, began her research for American Food in 1975 and created the work between 1980 and 1992. Working in the pre-internet era, she conducted her research using methods akin to an anthropologist or explorer, collecting source material from menus, grocery stores, food stands, advertisements, and oral interviews during cross-country road trips. The result is a witty and visually engaging statement about a particular period of American consumerism and its culture of abundance.