By Cheril Lee
Omaha, NE – Vera Mercer: Still Lifes opened last month at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts.
Curator Hesse McGraw says the exhibition features 11 large-scale photographic works by Omaha-based photographer Vera Mercer. He says this is Mercer's first ever solo exhibit in the U.S. and the works on view are incredibly complex but also quite direct. McGraw says the images reflect an omnivore's sense of food, "some of the images may appear to be grotesque but they are also quite alluring. They may appear decadent but there's also kind of a comical nature to the works. They are extremely compelling and I think they draw you in and make you ask pretty large questions about both the nature of photography and what your relationship with food is."
A Still Life Dinner with chefs Paul Kulik of the Boiler Room and Julie Friederich of La Buvette, takes place on March 16th at the Bemis. Reservations may be made by calling 341-7130. Vera Mercer: Still Lifes is on view at the Bemis Center through April 9th.