Traveling Exhibit to Feature Modernist Cuisine Photos

The gang at Modernist Cuisine is taking their show on the road with a traveling photography exhibit. Coinciding with the release of their upcoming book, The Photography of Modernist Cuisine, the exhibit will premiere on October 26 at Pacific Science Center in Seattle. 100 photographs will be on display — some new and some from the books — until February, after which the exhibit will travel around the world for three years. No word on future tour schedule; stay tuned. Here's a press release:

NEW TRAVELING PHOTO EXHIBIT REVEALS A UNIQUE VIEW OF FOOD FROM NATHAN MYHRVOLD AND MODERNIST CUISINE

The Photography of Modernist Cuisine: The Exhibition, a collection of 100 large-format photographs of food taken by Nathan Myhrvold and his team at Modernist Cuisine, premieres October 26, 2013, at Pacific Science Center in Seattle, Washington. The exhibit will illuminate the fascinating, accessible science at work every day in our kitchens.

Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking and Modernist Cuisine at Home, both coauthored and published by Myhrvold, won recognition from critics and readers alike for their innovative and engaging photography. Now the creators of these award-winning books have combed through their library of more than 500,000 photographs and identified 100 of their best images—many of them new or previously unpublished— to display for the exhibit.

The exhibit will run through February 17, 2014, and then travel worldwide for three years. It will be accompanied by The Photography of Modernist Cuisine, a book showcasing 405 Modernist Cuisine photos in a coffee-table-worthy print size of 13 in by 163?8 in. The majority of the exhibition photos are included in the 312-page book. Written by Nathan Myhrvold and published by The Cooking Lab, The Photography of Modernist Cuisine will be on sale by mid-October 2013 for a list price of $120.

"I hope that others share with us the child-like wonder and curiosity I feel when looking at these photos, said Myhrvold. "The exhibition and book are in many ways a culmination of my lifelong interest in photography, in much the same way that Modernist Cuisine was a milestone in my interest in food."

The photographs vary in size, with many spanning six feet. Techniques such as panoramic stitching, focus stacking, and microscopy, which are not often used in food photography, show food as seen from intriguing and novel perspectives.

For example, Myhrvold outfitted research microscopes with special filters to polarize light in order to illustrate the fractal structures and mesmerizing color gradations of vitamin C crystals. Visitors will also witness the intricate inner details of a blueberry, the time-frozen chaos inside a spice grinder, and the magical view of a boiling pot of vegetables in canning jars that have been sliced in half.

The human interest in food is hardwired: Everyone eats, but few people have seen food from Myhrvold's perspective. The Photography of Modernist Cuisine: The Exhibition is destined to have widespread appeal and to attract visitors of all ages and backgrounds. Photography lovers will appreciate the unorthodox techniques used to create each image, food lovers will salivate over the arresting portrayal of plants, animals, phenomena, and cooking techniques, and the curious-minded will revel in the accompanying scientific insights.
More information is available at www.modernistcuisine.com/exhibit.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nathan Myhrvold, author of The Photography of Modernist Cuisine and coauthor of Modernist Cuisine and Modernist Cuisine at Home, is a chef, photographer, and scientist. Myhrvold founded The Cooking Lab, built the Modernist Cuisine team, and lead the development and production of all three books. In addition to his culinary and photographic pursuits, the former chief technology officer of Microsoft is the founder and CEO of Intellectual Ventures, a pursuer of innovation.

ABOUT MODERNIST CUISINE
The Modernist Cuisine team is an interdisciplinary team in Bellevue, Washington, which includes scientists, development chefs, a full editorial and photography department, and business and marketing staff—all dedicated to advancing the state of the culinary arts through the creative application of scientific knowledge and experimentation. They have written Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking (2011), Modernist Cuisine at Home (2012), and the forthcoming book The Photography of Modernist Cuisine (2013). The Cooking Lab, Modernist Cuisine's in-house publishing division, published all three books. In addition to publishing, The Cooking Lab also provides consulting, R & D, and invention services to food companies and culinary equipment makers, both large and small. Their research laboratory in Bellevue includes one of the best-equipped kitchens in the world and includes access to a full set of machining, analytical, and computational facilities, courtesy of Intellectual Ventures.

ABOUT PACIFIC SCIENCE CENTER
Pacific Science Center began as the United States Science Pavilion during the 1962 Seattle World's Fair. Millions came to explore the wonders of science during the World's Fair and upon closing ceremonies, the Science Pavilion was given new life as the private, not-for-profit Pacific Science Center and the first U.S. museum founded as a science and technology center. On July 22, 2010 Pacific Science Center was declared a City of Seattle Landmark. On October 22, 2012 Pacific Science Center celebrated 50 years of inspiring curiosity, creativity and critical thinking for people of all ages throughout Washington and guests from around the world.

· The Photography of Modernist Cuisine [MC]
· All Modernist Cuisine Coverage on Eater [-E-]