The tools of his trade range from a cleaver and several very sharp knives to a set of brawny bare hands and some incredibly expensive camera equipment. I’m making Dominic Episcopo sound like a severely psychologically insane pathological killer in a “pulled straight from the headlines” episode of Law & Order that’s just waiting to happen.
That’s not the, er, case.
This is “Meat America,” the latest project and soon to be book from photographer, and now sculptor, Dominic Episcopo. The photographs dish up a healthy serving of pop culture to whet the always-hungry American appetite and trim the fat off our bulging bellies by popping our eyes instead of clogging up our arteries.
Episcopo, who hand-sculpts each choice cut of animal product, adds a slab of nostalgic and modern Americana to your visual menu. Ground beef takes on the form of classic art pieces and text messages. Juicy dripping steaks are placed on the butcher’s block and sliced up into silhouettes of presidents, musicians, states, and other icons and institutions. Often viewed as sacred, these slices of life can now be seen as utterly delicious.
Text by Dan Christiansen
