Artist’s ‘food typography’ exhibit at MTSU through Feb. 7 makes language look delicious

Multidisciplinary visual artist Danielle Duncan Evans is shown at left with a few examples of her work, including the

Multidisciplinary visual artist Danielle Duncan Evans will visit Middle Tennessee State University’s Todd Art Gallery Monday, Jan. 23, to help kick off the university’ spring 2023 exhibition of her fascinating work, “Entrée Reality: Between Worlds.”

Evans, who is set to speak at 5 p.m. Jan. 23 in Todd Hall’s Room 224A, will offer a free public Q&A session on her artistic career development, focusing on the evolution of her creative purpose and processes.

The exhibit, which will continue through Tuesday, Feb. 7, showcases Evans’ creations as a self-described “food typographer, which is part photographer and part designer, with a dash of a food scientist.”

She’s also a freelance creative director and stop-motion artist who designs high-quality global brand campaigns, combining sustainable, handcrafted lettering techniques and digital technology, including augmented reality, to unite people, places and ideas.

In pioneering the design subgenre of food typography in 2013, Evans has combined wordplay with everything from fondant to fresh vegetables and nail polish to paper to bring her ideas alive. Herclient list includes Aria, American Greetings, Bath & Body Works, Cadillac, Chase Bank, Condé Nast, Disney, The Guardian, JET, the Los Angeles Times, McDonald’s, Target and The Washington Post.

“All my work is composed in analog and in-camera but relies on technology to be digested,” says the Columbus, Ohio-based artist, who’s currently participating in a Parisian artist residency. “These pieces become statements on social issues, consumerism and the joy of human connection.”

Multidisciplinary visual artist Danielle Duncan Evans' "You Will Not Erase Me" creation, a simple pink rubber eraser with a printed QR code, can take the viewer to an augmented reality experience with the click of their smartphone's camera. Work by Evans, a self-described “food typographer," will be on display Jan. 23-Feb. 3 at Middle Tennessee State University’s Todd Art Gallery in a new exhibit, "Entrée Reality: Between Worlds.” She also will present a free public Q&A session on Monday, Jan. 23, at 5 p.m. in the gallery inside Todd Hall in the central part of the Murfreesboro campus. — Multidisciplinary visual artist Danielle Duncan Evans’ “You Will Not Erase Me” creation, a simple pink rubber eraser with a printed QR code, can take the viewer to an augmented reality experience with the click of their smartphone’s camera. Work by Evans, a self-described “food typographer,” will be on display Jan. 23-Feb. 7 at Middle Tennessee State University’s Todd Art Gallery in a new exhibit, “Entrée Reality: Between Worlds.” She also will present a free public Q&A session on Monday, Jan. 23, at 5 p.m. in the gallery inside Todd Hall in the central part of the Murfreesboro campus.

Evans, who’s also a prolific author and speaker who often focuses on how design intersects with social justice, business, love and psychology, has broadened her artistic process by learning new languages, teaching herself new technologies and broadening her visual language to include objects— “anything to strengthen the connectivity between people and their environments, she says.

More information about Evans’ work is available at her website, https://marmaladebleue.com. She also discusses her work and creativity in the video below.

During her three-day stop as a visiting artist in MTSU’s Department of Art and Design, Evans also will offer an “Artist Talk” to students in design and illustration courses and present a student-focused workshop.

Todd Hall is located at 542 Old Main Circle in the central part of the MTSU campus. “Entrée Reality: Between Worlds” will be open to the public during the Todd Gallery’s regular hours: weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays 11 a.m.–4 p.m.

A campus map is available at https://bit.ly/MTSUParking, and directions to Todd Hall are available at https://bit.ly/MTToddGalleryDirections.

Multidisciplinary visual artist Danielle Duncan Evans' "Portrait of a Man" creation, an image of a subject with his face partially obscured by a printed QR code, not only is reminiscent of Surrealist artist Rene Magritte's "The Son of Man" painting with his face partially obscured by an apple, can take the viewer to an augmented reality experience surpassing Magritte's man and stepping into the connections between fine art, portraiture and mental health with the click of their smartphone's camera. Work by Evans, a self-described “food typographer," will be on display Jan. 23-Feb. 3 at Middle Tennessee State University’s Todd Art Gallery in a new exhibit, "Entrée Reality: Between Worlds.” She also will present a free public Q&A session on Monday, Jan. 23, at 5 p.m. in the gallery inside Todd Hall in the central part of the Murfreesboro campus. — Multidisciplinary visual artist Danielle Duncan Evans’ “Portrait of a Man” creation, an image of a subject with his face partially obscured by a printed QR code, not only is reminiscent of Surrealist artist Rene Magritte’s “The Son of Man” painting with his face partially obscured by an apple, can take the viewer to an augmented reality experience surpassing Magritte’s man and stepping into the connections between fine art, portraiture and mental health with the click of their smartphone’s camera.

MTSU’s Department of Art and Design, which is part of the university’s College of Liberal Arts, offers undergraduate degree programs in art education, art history, visual arts, studio art and graphic design. The department also regularly invites artists of all kinds and at all levels of fame to exhibit in the Todd Art Gallery, conduct workshops and lecture in classes.

For parking, directions or other questions, contact Todd Gallery coordinator and director Eric Snyder at 615-898-5532 or eric.snyder@mtsu.edu.

For more information about MTSU’s Department of Art and Design, visit www.mtsu.edu/art. MTSU’s College of Liberal Arts website is www.mtsu.edu/liberalarts.

— Gina E. Fann (gina.fann@mtsu.edu)