Ice cream 2024

Summary

This ceramic artwork of an ice cream was made by Kenny Pittock for the 2025 City Gallery exhibition 'The Dirty Dozen'. Curated by award-winning food writer and author Richard Cornish, the exhibition delved into the sometimes-dark, often-uplifting stories behind street food, produce markets and the dining habits of the 19th-century elite. The twelve ceramic artworks produced by Pittock bring to life 12 quintessential Melbourne street foods. All look good enough to eat.

"One of the first fixtures on Melbourne’s streets was the ice-cream vendor. Refrigeration technology was developed in Geelong in the early 1850s, and by the 1870s, ice-cream vendors were selling ices in glass goblets from covered carts. A good number of the early vendors were Italian, and production was an artisan affair, with fresh, unpasteurised milk products churned in people’s homes. The very real risk of milk-borne diseases, such as brucellosis and tuberculosis, sparked public outrage in the early 20th century, leading to the banning of artisan production. This resulted in the rise of big factories such as Snowdrop and Peter’s, the latter of which is still a household name." - Richard Cornish, 'The Dirty Dozen' exhibition catalogue