Her photographic prints are so good you'll want to eat them up!
When artist Amy Stevens turned 30, she wanted to celebrate the milestone in a totally unique and seemingly fantastical way: by baking herself 30 cakes. After ordering a cake decorating kit and clearing the grocery store of flour and eggs, Amy realized that her cakes had a certain artistic imperfection, and though they were not bakery ready, could be turned into fun photo subjects. From this spark of culinary inspiration, Confections was born. These limited edition prints are perfect for your home, adding sprinkles of color and a whimsical tone to any wall space. You and your LittleCollector will be inspired to bake a colorful confection of your own! And that one, you'll be able to eat.
We got the chance to chat with Amy Stevens about her art, inspiration, and whether or not she ate all 30 birthday cakes.
LC: We are salivating over your Confections series. Where did you get your idea and inspiration for this series?
AS: The inspiration from the series came from my obsession with cake imagery from vintage home magazines. Before I started Confections, I was referencing cake and food imagery in painting, collage, serigraphs and etchings. The photograph series started in grad school when a fellow colleague suggested I make the cakes myself and photograph them. I was also about to turn 30, so cakes and milestone birthdays were already in my thoughts.
LC: Did you end up eating the cakes after you photographed them?
AS: I am often asked if I ate the cakes, and my answer is usually a disappointment to most people. If you consider the fact that I created over 100 cakes in 8 years, and was mostly single during that time, you can imagine why eating all of those cakes wouldn't be a great idea. I also would leave them in my studio while I was editing the photos and making sure I had the right shot. Not to mention all of the crazy amounts of icing and food coloring I piled onto the cakes with abandon. There was one pie amongst all the cakes, and that was definitely consumed:) I have made a few delicious cakes since then for birthdays and events, but the more I want to make them with the freshest and highest quality ingredients, the less fancy they become.
LC: What is your favorite food, the one that makes you smile the most?
AS: Favorite foods are a toss up between tamales and dosas. Really, any Indian. I also am an aspiring gardener, and there is nothing more amazing than a fresh garden tomato with basil, balsamic and a little olive oil. I'm a vegetarian, and I love to cook, so when I'm in a restaurant and they have a unique vegetarian dish on the menu, I am also very happy!
LC: Do you enjoy cooking and/or baking on a regular basis?
AS: I love to cook and bake. I try not to bake too much because there are only two of us, but it happens on special occasions.
LC: What song are you dancing to these days?
AS: I love music, so this was a tough call: Red Eyes, War on Drugs; Thunder Clatter, Wild Cub; All the Days, Haerts; My Number, Foals
LC: What are your 3 favorite LittleCollector pieces?
