Aunt Mackey’s Seduction Omelet

Aunt Mackey’s Seduction Omelet is the artist’s prose in gold ink on a well-used cookie sheet. The text relates experiences both sensual and sexual—collecting eggs, the frisson of a date, the gift of a recipe—in the layered language of seduction.

The prose piece was included in the artist’s text collection “Initially Self Referent,” and appears in full below the image.

Aunt Mackey's Seduction Omelet

2002

Text on steel pan

Aunt Mackey’s Seduction Omelet

Part I, Colloquial

To egg on

To have all of one’s eggs in one basket

To tread upon eggs

To be a good egg

Egg head

Egg shaped

To have egg on one’s face

The portion of life produced

by the females of a species

To form

To conceive

To beget

To begin

Aunt Mackey’s Seduction Omelet

Part II, 1952

It was the smell of grain in the warm coop air. Specks of dust floated in light rays glancing off the layers’ nests. Staggered bookshelves of nesting hens laying their eggs, eying her day after day, as she slipped her small hand under their soft belly feathers. Was she sneaky as she discreetly confused the issue with sweet water and fresh feed?

A thrift of theft before cackled outrage.

Aunt Mackey’s Seduction Omelet

Part III, 1967

Mackey watched him move about collecting ingredients from shelves covered by old tea towel curtains. Her knees hit the cabinet; her heels cupped the stool rung. Her chin rested on the back of her hand and ground her elbow into the counter. She watched him as her New England restraint drained unnoticed to the floor.

They ate fresh eggs fried in sweet butter, the yolk barely firm, the whites edged in crisp ochre lace.

Aunt Mackey’s Seduction Omelet

Part IV, 2002

halved roasted fig iron skillet

roasted sweet onion sweet butter

sliced sauted porcini sea salt

fresh fresh eggs basil seed

Add butter to heated skillet. When a drop of egg sizzles, add remainder. Do not brown. Place onion, fig and porcini on one half. Fold other half over. Lower heat. Flip, Cook through, Plate. Sprinkle with sea salt and basil seed.

Savor on your south portal while the dogs sleep in the sun.

Don’t talk.

XXX,

Mackey