What's for Dinner?!
What’s for Dinner?! is a piece that explores the concept of pain. Different organisms express in silent ways harm caused to them through human interaction. With this sculpture, Johnson is giving a larger voice to the overlooked cries of oceanic life. Lobsters are boiled alive because it is safer for humans to eat them this way. But if a person could hear the lobsters crying as loud as a baby as it’s being cooked for human consumption? The grim scenario forces the viewers to face the unpleasant realities of the ocean’s silent victims and pose a more inclusive judgment of who feels pain.
Building the Kitchen
Johnson began the project by building a lifesize hutch reminiscent of a kitchen. The kitchen, which was over 6 feet tall, was painted a baby blue as a tongue in cheek reference to the grotesque scene to be displayed. Johnson wanted the kitchen to seem endearing as if this was an ordinary kitchen scene. She added tile, gout, and stove components to finish off the kitchen.
Sculpting the Lobster Babies
Ealine decided to combine notable features in both lobsters and babies for her hybrids. The lobster babies were made of clay and allowed Johnson to make the facial expressions super exaggerated. She wanted the viewers to truly imagine how painful this experience must be for lobsters.
Putting it all Together
After the baby hybrids and kitchen were completed, Johnson decided to add cheerful items on the top shelf to really sell the idea that this was a normal day of cooking in the kitchen. Additionally, one hybrid baby was placed in a resin filled pot to show a lobster baby being cooked. And the other was sat on a chopping board with tongs desperate not to be boiled next in the bizarre scene.
