Book Review: Golden Apple of the Sun
Teju Cole. ‘OCT 14 14:56’ from Golden Apple of the Sun (MACK, 20201). Courtesy the artist and MACK.
Written by: Alyssa Monte
In the five weeks leading up to the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Teju Cole photographed his kitchen countertop every day. Leaving the arrangements to chance, Cole served as a silent observer and allowed the dishes to move in “their unpredictable constellations.” In these quiet yet intimate moments, Cole addressed a seemingly insignificant subject in the way one would approach an environmental portrait. While the world faced uncertainty and chaos, Cole provided a sense of solace in a way that sometimes only your kitchen can lend you.
Teju Cole. ‘NOV 01 11:24’ from Golden Apple of the Sun (MACK, 20201). Courtesy the artist and MACK.
An essay considering the issues of hunger, fasting, mourning, slavery, intimacy, painting, poetry and the history of photography accompanies Cole’s photographs in Golden Apple of the Sun. The writing eloquently personifies the dinnerware by drawing attention to larger concepts and conflicts. Handwritten pages from an 18th century cookbook are dispersed throughout the book, wittingly setting the scene and contextualizing Cole’s subject matter.
“Many artists have felt the lure of juxtaposing photographs and text, but few have succeeded as well as Teju Cole,” Stephen Shore, a fellow photographer, said of the book. “He approaches this problem with an understanding of the limitations and glories of each medium.”
Teju Cole. ‘OCT 08 10:06’ from Golden Apple of the Sun (MACK, 20201). Courtesy the artist and MACK.
Cole was inspired by the still lifes of Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin and Paul Cézanne, as well as contemporary photographers such as Laura Letinsky and Jan Groover, according to his publisher, MACK. By combining these practices with the intent to document rather than manipulate, Cole leaves us with compositions that appeal to each of our senses. Freshly washed fruit housed in an oversized dish, warm sunlight spilling onto the counter, orange sauce caked on a serving spoon. These tiny instances of normalcy in a kitchen in Cambridge, Massachusetts, form a welcome oasis amid the turmoil just beyond those four walls.
Teju Cole. ‘OCT 02 14:01’ from Golden Apple of the Sun (MACK, 20201). Courtesy the artist and MACK.
Golden Apple of the Sun feels nostalgic while embracing the pertinent emotions of our present world. Cole fosters an extraordinary narrative by using a subject matter that is relatable, familiar and comforting. The photographs will forever be reminiscent of a time when we were forced to slow down and reflect on the simple things surrounding us.
