For my historical figure I have chosen to sculpt Julia Child. I really enjoy cooking and watching cooking shows, but I have never actually watched any of Child’s many television series. I knew of her spunky personality and her ability to relate to many novice cooks, which made her an inspiration to thousands of home cooks and for my piece. I think Julia Child is extraordinarily admirable for being able to chase a deep passion she discovered on a whim. What I’ve noticed over the years is that most master chefs are men, the paradox being that women are expected to do the cooking for her household. Child broke this barrier by being not only a famous female chef but also by being the first host of a television cooking show. In addition to being a memorable TV persona for almost 30 years, Julia Child has written multiple cook books which have come to be regarded as a sort of scripture in the culinary community.
While researching Julia Child, I discovered that during WWII she served in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), after being rejected from the Women’s Army Corps for being too tall, which I thought was a very strange requirement for non-combat workers. She became a covert operative of sorts and worked on top secret research projects for the army.
In my sculpture I want to portray both the open, bubbly life Child led as a cooking TV legend as well as her clandestine past. I think Child’s life was dictated by many whims, which led her to be very successful and iconic, and I really look up to her adventurous and courageous lifestyle. Her work inspired thousands of people to start cooking and started a new movement of television. I want to show both the unexpected spy with the well-known cooking star.