Food, the final frontier? It’s one of the great wonders of the universe that structures that exist on a cosmic scale tender to resemble those that exist on a microscopic one (compare and contrast this map of galactic superclusters and this one of synapses in the human brain, for instance). Still, you might be taken aback to know that the sci-fi scenes depicted in the work of Brooklyn photographer Navid Baraty (which we spied at Faith Is Torment) are created entirely from the contents of his pantry. In Baraty’s hands, a glass of coconut milk becomes a planet, and baking soda and curry powder combine to form a galaxy. It’s a neat trick, and surprisingly effective. Click through to see some of our favorites, and check out Baraty’s Behance page for plenty more.
Nebula with gas streams: cat fur, garlic powder, salt, flour, cumin, turmeric. Photo credit: Navid Baraty
Nebula: make-up, olive oil, chalk, baby powder, salt, water. Photo credit: Navid Baraty
“Ghostly anomaly”: butter, food coloring, salt. Photo credit: Navid Baraty
Black hole: glass of coffee, salt, sugar, corn starch, cinnamon. Photo credit: Navid Baraty
Planet: glass of half-and-half, water, food coloring. Stars: salt, cinnamon, baking powder. Photo credit: Navid Baraty
Planet: glass of half-and-half, water, food coloring. Moons: silica gel, food coloring.Stars: sugar, cinnamon, cumin. Photo credit: Navid Baraty
Planet: glass of half-and-half, water, food coloring. Moons: glass of coconut milk, water, food coloring.Stars: salt, cinnamon, baking powder, tums. Photo credit: Navid Baraty
Spiral galaxy: baking soda, curry powder, chalk, salt, sugar, cinnamon. Photo credit: Navid Baraty