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A sculpture of a deep fryer contains fried octopus tentacles, sitting atop a red pot. To the right, raw octopus pieces are skewered on a wooden stand above a glowing red light bulb.

Photography: Catherine Losing advocates playing with your food for The Gourmand

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Date
4 June 2013

Taking your mum’s favourite expression “The dinner is not going to cook itself!” into a whole new realm of possibility, Iain Graham and Catherine Losing’s brilliantly absurd photo shoot for the second issue of foodie publication The Gourmand tests the conductive abilities of various foodstuffs. And in actual fact, mum, you’re wrong. It might well do.

Entitled The Serpent That Ate Its Own Tail Catherine’s lens brings to life Iain’s amazing ideas such as an octopus clutching with one lilac tentacle at the blade of an electric carving knife, attached by a crocodile clip (à la physics lesson) to a neighbouring selection of sizzling scallops. Another image, captioned A collection of deep fried delicacies displays a heap of chicken’s feet and heads, keenly watched over by a row of pierced pig’s eyeballs. Also featured are gin and tonic glowing blue over a blazing UV light, a selection of woodland berries resting precariously on three rapidly melting white chocolate plates balanced in front of a whirring heater, an electric eel, and a lamb’s tongue gently roasting on a spit… Still hungry?

A large squid hangs from a metal chain, suspended above a grey concrete block. A handheld power saw is positioned as if cutting through the squid's body.
Above

Catherine Losing: The Serpent That Ate Its Own Tail commissioned for The Gourmand Issue Two (Food styling Iain Graham, set design Anna Lomax)

A sculpture featuring a series of connected objects on a grey surface against a black background. Three pieces of raw meat are skewered on a vertical stand above an open tin can, with steam rising from the can. To the left, three square frames are linked by wires and clips, while a piece of meat rests on a stand over a heated block to the right.
Above

Catherine Losing: The Serpent That Ate Its Own Tail commissioned for The Gourmand Issue Two (Food styling Iain Graham, set design Anna Lomax)

A red, stylised telephone sits atop a grey concrete block. A pink cord leads down to a small, colourful sculpture on the floor. To the right, three white plates are held at different heights by wooden poles. The plates hold strawberries, blackberries and a red dessert.
Above

Catherine Losing: The Serpent That Ate Its Own Tail commissioned for The Gourmand Issue Two (Food styling Iain Graham, set design Anna Lomax)

A sculpture featuring two translucent, yellowish bottles resting on white pedestals with concrete bases. A pink cable connects the pedestals to a wooden structure topped with a blue lightbulb and a small, colourful landscape model.
Above

Catherine Losing: The Serpent That Ate Its Own Tail commissioned for The Gourmand Issue Two (Food styling Iain Graham, set design Anna Lomax)

Two blue, translucent sculptures resembling bottles stand on tall pedestals against a black background. A glowing lightbulb and a small, crystalline structure are connected by a thin, luminous blue cable.
Above

Catherine Losing: The Serpent That Ate Its Own Tail commissioned for The Gourmand Issue Two (Food styling Iain Graham, set design Anna Lomax)

A sculpture composed of various organic and industrial materials connected by thin wires. A loop of dried orange slices and two concrete cylinders sit beside a yellow object and a stack of sponges.
Above

Catherine Losing: The Serpent That Ate Its Own Tail commissioned for The Gourmand Issue Two (Food styling Iain Graham, set design Anna Lomax)

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About the Author

Maisie Skidmore

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Maisie joined It’s Nice That fresh out of university in the summer of 2013 as an intern before joining full time as an Assistant Editor. Maisie left It’s Nice That in July 2015.

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