INTERFACE

REVIEW

Space cooks

An artist's recipe book

Reviewed by: Susannah Thompson »

Oh God no' an artists' version of Nigella Bites, all sun-dried tomatoes and comfy domesticity. Fear not, Space cooks is more like Grub on a grant with lashings and lashings of alcohol. SPACE studios commissioned over 100 artists, including Bridget Riley, Tracey Emin, Gillian Wearing, Susan Hiller, Liam Gillick and Gavin Turk to contribute favourite illustrated recipes, ranging from a great recipe for Hot toddy by Ian Breakwell to Inventory's delightful Molotov cocktail – a potent mix of kerosene and motor oil.

The book is part of a project to raise funds for the transformation of The Triangle – a former college site – into an international space for art production, education, exhibition and studios in London's east end. As well as the book itself, six of the artists have produced limited-edition prints taken from the recipes, including Catherine Yass' Abattoir – a photograph of a skinned rabbit stretched across a butcher's table at Smithfield's Market.

Although Space cooks is essentially a flick-through coffee table book, on closer inspection the varying ways in which the artists have responded to the brief makes interesting reading providing a fascinating insight into their lives. Some of the recipes, such as David Shrigley's Dave's chicken (serves Dave and girlfriend) and Cathy de Monchaux's Steak, potatoes and salad (from Marks and Spencer: "I don't know how to prepare salad that doesn't come in a bag") are straight and usable recipes for the artists' favourite foods. Others, such as Bob and Roberta Smith's Grit surprise topped with Plaster of Paris, Matt Hale's Humble pie and Graham Little's A new recipe for a satisfied void have been somewhat more inventive. Although these fantasy meals are often highly amusing and clever, the straight recipes are more of a 'through the studio keyhole' snapshot of the creative, disordered lifestyles which many artists lead. There is something of a play on the idea of the struggling artist here, freezing and starving over a single gas ring in a tiny garret, despite the fact that a significant number of artists represented can well afford sterling room (or studio) service. Memories of student days cannot have been far away however in the countless recipes for white-bread sandwiches, hangover cures, takeaway menus and midnight snacks. Within the context of Space Studios, these whimsical, rose-tinted memories of romanticised poverty and bankrupt soup are forgivable and perhaps inspiring to young artists who are persevering in spite of considerable financial difficulties. David Leapman's Spicy tuna and rice apparently gave him "great strength to paint" while living on the dole in the 1980s – "in the weeks where money was really short I'd skip the tuna". Mmm... truly scrumptious.

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