When reading about Tefler’s essay on Food as art, I become more curious about the understanding of food as art conceptually and how food art could be viewed and felt in public spheres. I have selected the article named “Art, Food and public space: some reflections” by a scholar named Roberta Smith. I selected this article because it discusses food as a product of public art and I think this perspective is very interesting.

 

In the discussion of food as public art, Smith pointed out that the challenge with all forms of art is to make arts at home in public spaces. For example, art needs to be a combination of formal and experiential and emotional terms in order to inspire the viewers. Smith talked about eating at fast food places without enjoying the public space and said that “American’s relation to food is similar to their relation to public space. They tend to consume it mindlessly without a sense of ritual or pleasure. They don’t as a habit take time to enjoy it or experience it, which is why this country has such a widespread problem with obesity. They don’t see it on a regular basis as an occasion for togetherness. They don’t see it as a thing in itself.” (Smith, page 2). I think that this analogy is very interesting to the extent that it connects the choices of food to a bigger problem concerning the future of art in a society. The reflections Roberta Smith made are that people in American society today are unable to enjoy art because their choices of fast foods disables them to taste the pleasures in food and this habit has spread to the viewing of art in public spaces. I think that her connection of food and the general perception of art among the general publics in contemporary America is very profound and I could definitely relate to her conclusions with my daily observations in everyday life.

 

In Tefler’s article, she mentioned that the thinking of food as art is very important because “art is an important part of our lives. In our society, art manifests itself in at least three ways” (page 23, E.Tefler) and that those three ways include education and other socio-economic aspects. Tefler also mentioned about the art of food is a minor art because although food could not be an equivalent of other forms of art such as performance art, food still could manifests meanings and help people to realize the aesthetic importance in life. Similarly, Smith pointed out that the consuming of food should be ritual-like and should not just be a process of consuming, I think that the difference between Smith’s standpoint and Tefler’s is that Smith view food as a representative, symbolic reflection of people’s attitudes towards art and the reluctance of embracing art into life while Tefler is more compromising towards people’s view of art and food. Tefler could understand why people fail to get pleasures from food and refuse to admit that food is a form of art while Smith holds a more solid and uncompromising attitudes and thinks that people nowadays have completely lost their ability to appreciate food as art.

 

I personally agree with both Tefler and Smith. However, I think that Smith might be a bit vague about the connection between public space and the general appreciation of art with the fast food industry that she much disliked. I consider fast food industry as a challenge for traditional culinary arts because it allows less time and possibility for people to actually perceive food as of artistic values instead of just a necessity in life. I sometimes think that I would be much happier if I have the time to enjoy a meal with a peaceful mind instead of just grabbing some sandwiches for school everyday. It is hard to take the time and the mid to appreciate art if our lives don’t really allow us to have those leisure times.

 

Interestingly, Tefler also mentioned about how people could be very regretful to eat the food if the food is very artistic looking. I think it is very true because sometimes when I go to a French restaurant and listen to the waiter telling me about the menu and the beautiful layouts of the plates, I wish that there is an eternal moment that could make food into something that is more permanent and make food art something everlasting. I guess that the thing about food art is that you need to fully live in the moment and put your whole mind into it when you are enjoying food.

 

Reference: Smith, R. (2004). ART, Food and public space. NER, 167-169.