Polite

Merlin Carpenter

Info: After seeing the paintings that are being exhibited in Polite a month ago at Merlin’s studio, my immediate reaction was that I wanted to write a text that was a recipe for preparing a complicated, delicious dish. The reason why I felt like writing a recipe is that there is the assumption of repeatability, that the instructions and ingredients lead to a predictable tried and tested outcome. I also like the idea that if you follow a recipe you will get it right. If I follow Merlin’s recipe straightforwardly, I end up with a meal that is somewhat expected and potentially, repeatable myself. It would nonetheless be his recipe that I am using. His method, however, comes from his decades long experience, his investment in his craft and his understanding of the kitchen in relation to the restaurant. Merlin knows about painting like a head chef knows about cooking! He can repeat a recipe each time with certainty, but does our confidence in the dish persist? Does it taste as good as it used to? Does he make the meal for himself at home as well?