When I read the title of this week’s discussion, “Is Food Art?” I automatically thought to myself that yes I do believe food is art. After watching the videos about fast and slow food I began to question whether or not food is actually art. I believe that slow food is a lot more artistic than fast food. In the beginning of the video on fast food the narrator describes that what we are really getting when going to a fast food restaurant is, “carbonated water, ice, sugar, corn syrup, food coloring, and unnatural flavor.” This is not something that I believe is art. In Dissanayake’s article she describes the word techne as, “having a correct understanding of the principles involved” (16). Techne translates into art but describes other mundane activities, which I believe may include cooking. In this sense cooking and food could be considered an art. I think that many people who work at fast food restaurants do not do it with the intentions of making food that appeals aesthetically to humans, I think they do it just to give themselves a job. I think that for food and cookery to be considered an art there needs to be reasons behind it. I agree with Telfer’s article that food is a minor art. I agree that, “We must conclude that works of art in food, whether creative or interpretative, cannot gain the same stature as those of greater permanence” (25). This statement proves that food as art is a minor art. This article also discusses a lot about how art does not represent something else, but I do not believe that art necessarily has to have a deeper meaning behind it. Food is something that appeals to our senses and something that people enjoy eating and creating, and for these reasons I think that food should be considered an art.
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It’s an interesting article. My first feeling is same as you, food is art. However, fast food should not be considered as art. As you mentions, “Fast foods contain carbonated water, ice, sugar, corn syrup…etc.”. In my opinion, all of fast foods are without nutrition. And its just satisfied people basic needs of food. Business produces fast foods to make profits. So how can we consider fast food is an art? By contrast, unlike fast foods, slow foods consists of tasty, fragrance, nutrition etc. Also, slow food brings a sense of enjoyment to people. Chef uses different raw material to create unique foods, just like Molecular cuisine. And people can feel what the chef want to express. It’s pretty similar as what you thought; “Food is something that appeals to our senses and something that people enjoy eating and creating”. That’s art. Food is not just an a food, its has potential meaning and value.
I agree with your statement that “that food as art is a minor art” because it really is not the first thing that comes to my when I hear the word art. When I hear the word art I automatically think about paintings or drawings, something that you would find in a museum. However, nowadays food art is something that is starting to become a lot more popular. We can see through the large amount of cooking shows that are on TV, where chefs food is judged not only on its taste, but its appearance and display. I also agree with your point that food appeals to our senses and something that humans are able to enjoy, however I do not agree that food should not have meaning behind it. Art is based on the meaning behind the piece, so I think that for food to be considered art it should have meaning to it.
I would agree that food is a minor art. I also agree with the quote that you bring up in your post, “We must conclude that works of art in food, whether creative or interpretive, cannot gain the same stature as those of greater permanence.” (25) The fact that this is a discussion at all makes it clear that if food is an art at all it is a minor one. I am also glad that you brought up the point that art does not have to have a special meaning behind it in order to be considered art. As long as something is aesthetically pleasing, it can be considered art. The motivation behind most food and cooking is to please the senses. A deeper meaning is not needed.