A true polymath known in the culinary world as the author of Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking has targeted San Diego for the opening of the city's first art gallery devoted solely to food photography by a single artist, now open in the heart of La Jolla.
From Nathan Myhrvold - a mathmetician, economist, nuclear scientist, artist and author who was previously the CTO of Microsoft - the Modernist Cuisine Gallery opened last week in La Jolla and features unconventional food photography that was made popular in Myhrvold's four books - Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking, Modernist Cuisine at Home, The Photography of Modernist Cuisine, and Modernist Bread. Myhrvold is also currently working on his fifth book - Modernist Pizza. While working as chief technology officer at Microsoft, Myhrvold took leave to earn his culinary diploma from École de Cuisine La Varenne in France. His debut cookbook, which discusses the application of scientific research principles and new techniques and technology to cooking, earned a James Beard Foundation Award for "cookbook of the year" in 2012. Almost immediately after publishing the first book, prints of the photos were in demand. As the portfolio expanded with subsequent books, the idea of the Modernist Cuisine Gallery took form.
The 2,200 square-foot La Jolla location is Myhrvold's fourth gallery, with others located in Las Vegas, New Orleans, and Seattle. The San Diego venue will showcase and sell limited-edition framed prints of Myhrvold's photos, which are captured using revolutionary techniques including cutting cooking equipment in half, using custom-built lenses and photographing food under a microscope. Myhrvold chose La Jolla not only due to the beachside town's gallery row but also because his mother lives in the community.
"La Jolla has everything that goes into our pictures: great food, science, technology, and art," continued Myhrvold, who grew up in Southern California. "What it hasn’t had is a gallery dedicated to food photography, but we’re fixing that. I am excited to open the gallery in a community with an unmatched lifestyle, dedication to science and technology, and appreciation for art."
Wine glasses dancing in a tempest of red, pint glasses battling it out for bartop supremacy, raspberries plunging through pristine water, an unsuspecting group of french fries in the path of a suspended blast of ketchup... just a small taste of sights and scenes on display from the lens of Myhrvold and the culinary lab of Modernist Cuisine. Each print is produced using the highest quality and most durable print methods available, and the opening collection debuts stunning new photos and iconic images from the books as well as food-inspired landscapes and microscopic wonders. The prints are available in several frame, media, and size options, including large-scale options for big spaces, with shipping available worldwide.
Modernist Cuisine Gallery is located at 1241 Prospect St La Jolla and is open Sunday through Thursday from 10am to 9pm and Friday and Saturday from 10am to 10pm. For more information, visit modernistcuisinegallery.com.
