If you’ve ever seen the 1991 Robin Williams movie Hook you’ll fondly remember the famous food fight scene between the Lost Boys. I used to be super jealous of the lifestyle those kids lived, fighting pirates, running around a fantasy land and eating colorful whipped cream for dinner.
Photographer James Ostrer may not have created this collection with the movie Hook in mind but rather he referenced icons of contemporary sugar worship. Though some may find these images rather disturbing I look at them in a whimsical light. I see the humor in covering a seemingly normal human being and covering them in delicious treats. I am even curious about how these people found a way to breathe through all the frosting.
There is a strange throwback to ancient primitive art styles only using modern fake sugary treats, its really a beautiful contradiction. Looking a little deeper into the hidden messages that lay in Ostrer’s images, maybe nutritional disillusionment, or our societal practices of ingestion (we ingest a lot of bad shit) or maybe all that is on the outside is really what’s inside. He touches on fascinating issues just through what seemed like a fun and whimsical project. Outside of the deep hidden meanings of these photographs, Ostrer creates beautiful silhouettes and eye popping colors out of found objects that we are surrounded by everyday. These are modern day masks that we all wear, even if we can’t see them.
If you haven’t seen the movie Hook I urge you to see it. Bangarang.
HUNGRY HUNGARIAN 