Double Mona Lisa (Peanut Butter and Jelly) (After Warhol) 1999

Vik Muniz made this photograph of the Mona Lisa with peanut butter and jelly, and it's really something, isn't it? I love the way that Muniz embraces process, not just in the literal sense of smearing condiments around, but in the conceptual framework it creates. Think about that: peanut butter, jelly, and the Mona Lisa walk into a bar... Seriously though, the texture is so key here! One side is smooth and creamy, the other is lumpy and textured. It's like two different approaches to painting, or even two different personalities of the same person. Look at the way the jelly sort of puddles and drips, creating these dark, almost bruised shadows, and then how the peanut butter side is more controlled, almost sculpted. I'm reminded of Dieter Roth, who incorporated all sorts of edibles into his art. Both artists are saying something about the ephemerality of art, the joy of materials, and how everything, even a sandwich spread, can become art. It's a beautiful and slightly absurd idea, like art itself, really.