Objectives:
- Examine methods for evaluating qualities of art, such as product versus process, the difference between craft and fine art, must art be archival, and what is an aesthetic reaction
- Explore the notion of food as an art form.
- Consider cultural differences in the production and consumption food.
Artifact:
I personally believe that food in itself is a form of art; because just as there are many types of art in the world there are also many types of food, made with a variety of ingredients. The only difference is that food can’t be appreciated for as long as art due to its expiring nature and its quick rate of consumption. But food for sure is a unique style of art, from its appearance to its delicate unique tastes. Even its preparation can be seen artistic, as there are many ways and styles one can prepare a certain dish, and that process in itself is enjoyable to watch.
Food, just like art, can evoke a visual sense of pleasure for the consumer. Dissanayake would label this as aesthetics, as the 18th century thinks would turn their attention towards “elucidating principles such as taste and beauty that govern all the arts and indeed make them not simply paintings of statues but examples of fine art” (Dissanayake 17). Food is for sure a more realistic form of art, as it obviously more hands on. However, just as there are art requires a lot of skill and being precise, there are highly skilled chefs that use certain techniques and styles in making their items. I love that food has so many styles and flavors that you can mess with. Whenever I have the time, I love to cook for myself. I usually make different cultures of food, from Thai to Indian to Mexican. For Thai for example, I mix yellow curry with peanut butter to create this crunchy but very delectable taste, and it tastes amazing with rice or noodles. In that sense I would consider myself as an artist, as I love to experiment different seasonings and ingredients with different styles of food in order to create an optimal unique item that I can staple as my own. Dissanayake states that “art is of supreme value and a source for heightened personal experience”, (Dissanayake 22) and I beyond agree with this statement. Experimentation is a key factor in creating new styles of art, and I feel very joyful in my creations just as other artists would as well with their work of art.
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Reflection:
Art can be seen in everything in our life, and food is no exception. Rather, food is truly another trait and highlights art at another level. This assessment shows me how much respect I provide for food in my life. Ever since I moved into an apartment in college I have learned various dishes/styles of food that I’ve gotten to cherish and appreciate. Before this point, I would take food for granted and not appreciate its intrinsic value in our lives. But watching myself make different styles of cuisine while mixing in different ingredients each time really makes the whole process enjoyable. This past week, I made a yellow curry peanut butter thai noodles, and it not only looked appealing, but it tasted spectacular. I always make different styles of food, from Mexican to Indian, and so forth, and as a result I have really gotten to appreciate various cultures and their upbringing in their meals.
Food is similar to art in so many perspectives. They both include various colors, have different textures, and both have the potential to invoke a certain emotion from a consumer at a period of time. Just like how art can tell a story, food itself can bring back memories as well, and it enables us to appreciate and savor the ingredients and styles that were used to create it. One of my group members commented in my Food for Thought blog with a quote from Telfer, in which she stated that “many meals are intended by their cooks to be considered largely in this way- to be savored, appraised, thought about, discussed-and many eaters consider them in this way” (Telfer 14), and I whole-heartedly agree with this notion. This can be observed in the picture above, in which I mixed various stir fry vegetables along with tofu and seasoned it with curry powder, peanut butter and yellow curry to make this Asian dish. I never considered putting in peanut butter instead of peanut sauce, but I decided to experiment one day and give it a try, and the results were amazing; the noodles tasted so good. Creating food yourself makes it taste so much better, and this type of dish could be a good restaurant item, as I’ve made this multiple times for my family and others, and everyone has enjoyed this meal. Essentially, this assessment has showed me the extent of the amount of respect and appreciation that I maintain for food.
Future:
Food will always be a part of my life, but I hope that in the future I can create more unique styles of meals. In my culture, it is still predominantly believed that the women do all the cooking but I am looking forward to helping my wife cook and surprise and impress our future family. I believe the art of making food is very important, not only because of the health and cost benefits, but that it truly does reflect the creativity one invokes, and I’ve learned that myself from my different techniques in cooking.
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