Artifact 3 – Food
Unit 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: Unit 04 Food As Art Research Essay
“A canned shit can be art, why can’s gourmet food be similarly elevated?” (Smillie 2007) In the article Is Food Art? Susan Smillie complained about contemporary art and supports food to be art. Food is art or not is an intertwined question, but Susan’s opinion in this situation is very clear. She definitely considers food as art by compare the nonsense contemporary art with gourmet food. She suggests that most of people do not clear with the definition of art, especially contemporary art because that contemporary art does not make sense for most of people. However, it is very meaningful for some artists. From this perspective, food is also can be seen as art because famous chefs in top restaurants express their taste, believes and skills though the food they made without care about how the customer’s interests. Finally, she suggests that the act of eating and serving food also is art, the most complex performing art.
Art is hard to define, but there has a common agreement among art, that is, in the reading What is Art, the author suggests, “art is a psychological or emotional need and has psychological or emotional effects “(Dissanayake 15). It means that art is an expression of emotion, and it can influence people’s thinking and mood. So what does food do? Food actually can influence all the senses in people’s mind. “The act of eating engages all the senses as well as the mind”(Smillie 2007). It satisfies the desire of eating; the feeling of happiness, and it is a proof of social status. More fine the food is, more expensive people need to pay because fine foods requires chefs use both cooking skills and design skills to make the food looks attractive and taste good. Good chefs have their own belifes on food, just like artists express their ideas using their unique way. They don’t care about how other people evaluate their works, they just care about whether they fully expressed their idea or not. “skilled chefs are elevated to celebrity status with year-long waiting lists at their restaurants. Furthermore, many top chefs’ belief in their own taste – coupled with a naturally artistic temperament and healthy ego – doesn’t leave a lot of room for caring about their customers’ opinions”(Smillie 2007). The similar concept also can apply on contemporary art and food. Contemporary art does not make sense for most of people, but it is important for artists. Many people do not see the meaning behind the food, but it means a lot for the chefs. Therefore, “if a canned shit can be art, why can’s gourmet food be similarly elevated?” (Smillie 2007). Food for chef is like contemporary art for artist, they are both the ways of expressing the creators.
On the other hand, in the reading Food as Art, the author writes cooking also can be seen as art because “Cooking can in one sense be an expression of emotion. A cook can cook as an act of love, as we have seen, or out of the joy of living” (Telfer 26). However, some people might say, in restaurants, “chefs are cooking to please the customer” (Smillie 2007), so it can not be consider as art. However, that is typical chefs do, but top restraints’ chefs are different, just like the difference between normal people and contemporary artists. Moreover, Telfer suggests that works of art should make people to have aesthetic reactions, and he states, “There can be aesthetic reactions to tastes and smells.” (Telfer 11). Therefore, food can be seen as art. In addition, not only food and cooking can be consider as art, the act of eating and serving also can be considered as art because “The act of eating engages all the senses as well as the mind. Preparing serving food could therefore be the most complex and comprehensive of the performing arts” (Smillie 2007). Finally, in my opinion, food is a form of art since art consider being an experience and man-made thing. It does not require everyone understand it, but it requires the creator’s reorganization. I remembered that we have learned that art is universal. It has no limitation of region, race, culture and boundaries. As a result, we should not stuck on the thing either is art or not because to define one whether things are art or not depends on what does it mean to individuals.
Reflection:
Through thinking about if food is art, I learned some 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. An important evaluation standard of art is to see if the works can express emotions. Cooking can reflect chef’s emotion, as Telfer introduced, “Cooking can in one sense be an expression of emotion. A cook can cook as an act of love, as we have seen, or out of the joy of living” (Telfer 26). So in the article that I chose in this artifact, the author concludes that” The act of eating engages all the senses as well as the mind. Preparing serving food could therefore be the most complex and comprehensive of the performing arts” (Smillie 2007).
Personally, I believe that food is art. Food as an art-form, have enough aesthetic consideration on it. Food have various shapes, colors, tastes and smells so it can makes enough aesthetic reaction to people. As Telfer said, “There can be aesthetic reactions to tastes and smells” (11). The picture that I attached could definitely show the aesthetics of food.
Future Intentions:
In the future, I would likely to cook food with aesthetic consideration. Now, I cook food do not care much about its appearance because I think it is not important. Through this week’s topic, I believe that it will be very interesting if I take artistic consideration into cooking.
Works Cited: