Tattfoo Tan

With the help of students from P.S. 307, Tattfoo Tan, a Malaysian-born artist, has installed a mural on Front Street in Brooklyn, based on his "Nature Matching System" place mat. Like the place mat, the mural, made of 10-inch wood squares painted by the students, is a reminder to eat a kaleidoscope of fruits and vegetables, he said.


The place mat was inspired by a visit to the Union Square Greenmarket. Mr. Tan photographed his purchases and, using Photoshop, created a grid of squares in colors that corresponded to particular foods. "Marketers package food colorfully because color attracts people," said Mr. Tan, whose work often reflects the cultural importance of food. "I wanted to create a visually tempting way to view the intangibility of nutrition."

The place mat is available free at Foragers Market, 56 Adams Street, Brooklyn, and tattfoo.com; the mural will be on view on Front Street between Adams and Pearl Streets in Dumbo through January 2009.