Search

From prehistoric cave paintings of beef on the hoof to Renaissance canvases depicting the Last Supper to Andy Warhol's picture of a Campbell's soup can, food has inspired art. But the most striking images in ''Art and Appetite,'' a small, thought-provoking exhibition of prints and photographs at the Davison Art Center, on the campus of Wesleyan University in Middletown, are less about food than they are about its absence. Not to worry -- you won't go home feeling guilty about your Thanksgiving meal. The curator, Clare Rogan, offers several examples of what you might call the joy of looking at cooking. Roy Lichtenstein's ''Sandwich and Soda,'' printed in red, white and blue (on plastic instead of paper), revels in the crisp triangles of bread and the spherical bubbles in a soft drink; Donald Sultan's richly colored screen prints of peppers, cherries and pears are sensuous and inviting. Even Claes Oldenburg's whimsical lithograph ''Flying Pizza,'' with its blast of tomato red and its dancing slices, is about enjoyment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When do they do their homework? That's what I want to know about the three high school students who sign up for ''Speech and Debate,'' the club that provides the title for the slyly funny new play at TheaterWorks in Hartford. Solomon spends his time researching sex scandals and similarly outre topics for the school paper. Diwata swigs from warm bottles of wine cooler as she posts rambling extemporaneous songs and rants on her video blog. And Howie trolls gay chat rooms to e-flirt with older men and -- sure, why not? -- agree to meet them in the park at midnight. Schoolwork? Definitely at the bottom of the to-do lists. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Reviews the art exhibit "Paintings and Works on Paper," by Rolph Scarlett, at Saint Joseph College Art Gallery in West Hartford, Connecticut, from July 29 to September 17, 2005.