Milwaukee Photographer Lois Bielefeld admits. I’ve always wanted to go into people’s houses. It’s inspirational, curious. It can reveal so many things about someone, sometimes in a subtle way and other times in a blatant manner.
Weekly Dinners took her to the homes of Americans from Wisconsin, Texas and Mississippi. She has also created meal portraits of Luxembourg, where she spent a ten week residency.
Bielefeld had previously worked with some of the families and people who took part in the series; however, others were brand new. She uses old-fashioned and online bulletins and found some subjects in public and by accident. She says that most people were happy to share their daily routines.
Bielefeld asked everyone to prepare their meals as they would normally on a normal weeknight. They were only allowed to take pictures on Mondays and Tuesdays. The goal was to photograph a normal meal. Nothing extravagant. Although she suspects that some may have broken the “rule” by preparing something extra for her, it’s fine with her. The interaction between the subject and photographer makes Weekly Dinners successful.
Bielefeld, while preparing for the shoot, asks about eating and cooking habits. She is curious to know how families operate, such as who does the shopping, who cooks and who cleans. Some families ate as a family, but this was not the case in all cases. The table, sofa or floor were all places where people felt comfortable to eat.
Her favorite memory from the project comes from Bigonville, a village in Western Luxembourg. A calf was delivered on her family’s farm, which interrupted her plans. She tells us that Nicole was preparing dinner when she got a phone call saying her son and husband were late. This particular family was able to make it work. It was a typical weeknight dinner.
Bielefeld has been asked recently if she is a fan. She says, “I’m interested in anthropology. Not in the traditional academic sense, but in an unscientific way of fieldwork, by observing, taking photographs, and interviewing people informally.”
As I’m also “super nosy”, I asked the photographer what she eats on weeknights. Most of her meals are vegan because Jackie, her wife, is vegan. Tacos with Bielefeld’s “famous Guac” and bowls of veggies, grains and sauce are favorites. The photographer and his daughter, 16, eat together. “I love eating time,” says the artist. “We talk and reconnect, and share stories about our day.”