Veganism is one the most controversial and touchy food justice issues as it causes far more emotional reactions than, say, local food or organic food. No one likes to be told that what they’re doing or eating is wrong and few people are willing to sacrifice taste (or so they think) for ethical/environmental reasons. There are certainly valid arguments against veganism and I am not going to pretend that everyone ever is able to go vegan or is even willing to go vegan. However, it is an incredibly important food justice issue. For more information on veganism, check out the Veganism section on the Links page. My aim here is not to justify my veganism or promote veganism for everyone; it is simply to address it as a food justice issue in relation to art and let the viewer—you—make your own decisions.
An artist that successfully depicts the vegan message is Dana Ellyn, a professional painter based out of Washington, D.C. According to her website, “Ellyn’s style sits on the fence between social realism and expressionism […and] Ellyn strives to infuse more emotion and meaning into each new painting she creates.” A lot of her work involves chickens, bees, dogs, and social justice issues. Additionally, “having spent her childhood and college years honing her skills and striving to be technically correct, during the past 12 years, she has tasked herself with unlearning those restrictive habits. […] From childhood until about the age of 30, Ellyn was quiet and reserved. She has now found her voice and she is making up for lost time.” To see more of her work, click here. Some of her vegan paintings are highlighted below.
1 Comment
Dario
3/5/2023 05:23:26 am
"There are certainly valid arguments against veganism". May you make an example?
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