Biff Henrich (b. 1953)

Starting in the late 70’s Biff Henrich became fascinated with America’s eating habits and embarked upon a series of tabletop images depicting leftovers. This led to massive color murals of crowds feeding their faces at a ballgame or poolside. He humorously exaggerates the act of eating, commenting on the overwhelming American desire for simultaneous leisure, pleasure, and consumption despite its absurdity.  The two works on exhibition go further than the earlier works. By deploying his subjects against dark, rich backgrounds under lush lighting, they take on an air of importance and become more painterly. The lines between the advertising image and fine art are blurred in these iconic images. —Joan Vita Marotta, 2002