If like us, you woke up this morning suffering from a bit of a food hangover, then Pamela Michelle Johnson’s paintings of piled up hamburgers, stacks of Oreos, and mounds of cheesecake are probably going to make you feel a little sick to your stomach — and possibly help you from spending the entire day picking over leftovers. You’re welcome! Johnson’s photorealistic, large-scale work, which we spotted over on MoCoLoco, is meant to be a commentary on what she calls the “insatiable American appetite.”
“Through my work, I strive to invoke reflection on a culture focused on mass-consumption and mass-production, where the negative aspects of overindulgence are often forgotten or ignored,” she writes. “The work questions a culture that equates fulfillment, pleasure and happiness with what we consume.” Click through to see a few of our favorite pieces, and let us know what you think of it in the comments.
Pamela Michelle Johnson, Cheesecake, 2009. 60″ x 64″, oil on canvas
Pamela Michelle Johnson, Handi Snacks, 2008. 56″ x 68″, oil on canvas
Pamela Michelle Johnson, Danishes, 2008. 58″ x 60″, oil on canvas
Pamela Michelle Johnson, Circus Animals, 2008. 52″ x 52″, oil on canvas
Pamela Michelle Johnson, M&M’s, 2008. 42″ x 52″, oil on canvas
Pamela Michelle Johnson, Waffles, 2007. 72″ x 42″, oil on canvas
Pamela Michelle Johnson, Poptarts, 2007. 72″ x 52″, oil on canvas
Pamela Michelle Johnson, Burgers II, 2007. 54″ x 68″, oil on canvas
Pamela Michelle Johnson, Donuts I, 2006. 50″ x 60″, oil on canvas
Pamela Michelle Johnson, Oreos, 2007. 68″ x 52″, oil on canvas
Pamela Michelle Johnson, Hostess Cupcakes, 2007. 64″ x 64″, oil on canvas
Pamela Michelle Johnson, Gummi Bears, 2008. 30″ x 72″, oil on canvas