Values and Personal Adornment

Goals

Evaluate personal values and paradigms around body decoration and physical beauty.
Investigate how physical appearance affects definitions of identity and belonging.
Analyze values and belief systems of physical appearance across cultures, sub-cultures and generations.

When I get dressed every day and every morning, I never really thought of taking notice on what I wore actually portrayed. Even though I am aware on what I put on everyday, I never really thought of what other people actually thought of me. Am I judged? Am I stereotyped like a lot of other people are? Do I stand out to others that are

“people watching”?. I am an athlete on the University of Oregon track and field team, so I tend to where spandex shorts and leggings pretty much every day. But when I put those articles of clothing on, its not to show off my features its for the comfort. I’m so used to wearing it everyday to practice, it just became the norm for me. Wearing jeans or khakis is just so uncomfortable for me. Since I’m not a very religious person, I don’t think what I wear can really relate to my religious views or culture. In general if I was going to class I would not be wearing a belly shirt or a shirt that is really revealing. But if I was practicing, I am not against working out in shorts and a sports bra. If I am coming straight from practice I am also not against wearing just spandex shorts. But I am also not a person that has a lot of curves and features to show off. My body is more athletic looking not flirtatious looking. In a way, I think that’s why I think its ok for me to wear those types of clothing.The picture below shows what i wear competing and in practice most of the time which reflects my own personal adornment.

I guess in way the way I dress reflects my values. One of my main values when I put on clothes is based on comfort. A typical every day outfit is leggings and a big comfy sweatshirt. I think that shows that I am not trying to always impress anyone especially with what I wear. If they like me, it wont be based on what I wear. It will be based on my personality. This picture is my team, represents how we all dress pretty similar and have a value of comfort.

Why do I make these choices?

I think the reason I do this is so people judge me for who I am and not by what I wear. They will like me based on my personality. I think my smile and laughter in general will over ride anything im gong to be wearing, Well that’s what I would like to think and I don’t think I need to distract people with a crazy distracting outfit. I think im very simple the way I dress. Lazy, comfy and simple. I work so hard everyday with track, the last thing I want to do is get all dressed up in uncomfortable clothing and try to impress others.

What has changed?

Over the years things have definitely changed. From Middle school, to high school, even to my freshman and Sophomore year of college are different from my current junior year. I think I definitely was more into what I was wearing in my past years. I was more into impressing others and I wasn’t all just about making sure I was comfortable. I think that just comes with maturity. I don’t feel the need that I have to impress every body every single day. I think the way I dress shows that I am comfortable with myself.

What are the core beliefs and values in your family and how are they communicated through dress and body customization?

Honestly, My family isn’t very religious but I think the way my parents brought my brothers and I up was a with a value of HARD WORK. My family is made up of all state, all American, national champion athletes. We have values that make us push our selves to every level even when we didn’t think it was possible. We work hard to get good grades and excel what ever we put are mind too. When we fall short we are always there for each other. None of us dress crazy or have crazy tattoos and piercings because I think my brothers and I were brought up in a way that we knew we didn’t need to express our selves through what we wore. All of us dress pretty simply and comfortably. We dress pretty simple and ordinary, but are personalities are nothing but. I think personalities matter so much more then what you are wearing.

What are the core beliefs and values of your peer community? How are they expressed through dress and body adornment?

I’m surrounded from a team of athletes that all have the same goals and same clothing style. We all dress comfortably due to the fact that we all work hard every day. A lot of us don’t put the time and effort to be uncomfortable in other types of clothing’s like jeans or skirts due the fact that we have similar core values of working hard. In general I think the people you surround your self with tend to be pretty similar to you when it comes to values and the way they dress. So its not suprising all my friends I surround my self with have the same typical clothing styles. This picture below represents my friends and how we all wear similar things as well as us smiling and goofing up. We end up caring more about each other personalities and how we make each other feel around each other. Rather then what each other are wearing.

Reflection:

This weeks artifact has helped me figure out a lot about my personal adornment and how we all view other people and other cultures. It gave me the chance to think about what i actually wore and how my personal adornment were related to my beliefs and values. The way i dress is all through comfort because i put my body through so much work with what i do, i never put the time and effort to make my body dress in something that is uncomfortable. However, things have changed since i was younger. I think when i was younger, peer pressure to impress others took a toll. The idea of Beauty was all about impressing one another and showing others what you have. Which i think is all affected today by the Social media. I think as i have grown up and matured i have strayed away from not really caring about anyone else. I always do whats best for me. I feel like i know what true and real beauty is: PERSONALITY

This artifact allowed me to see how someones personal adornment can say a lot about there own value and beliefs. For example, I value comfort the most. It represents my values of how i think i have confidence in my personality, and don’t really bother impressing people with what I’m wearing. I think personality is the reason why someone wants to be with you or be friends with you.

Future

I think it would be really interesting to learn how personal adornment changes over time with other people, as well as yourself. Traveling a lot with my team to other states and competing abroad is always a awesome experience. But after learning about this artifact, i will have knew knowledge before going to other countries and observing what kind of personal adornment they have. Different countries dress different due to there cultures and beliefs. Here is a website that shows you the variety which i can’t wait to explore.

Portfolio

Artifact 1: Life Value Assesment

Artifact 2: What is Art for Essay

Artifact 3: Is Food Art?

Artifact 4: Personal Adornment

Bibliography

DEBATE. IS FOOD ART?

Feb2

The Big Debate: Can Food Be Serious Art?

Is FOOD ART?

In the article “The Big Debate: Can Food be Serious Art? They bring up both sides about how food can be art, and how it cannot be. It is from a newspaper called the Washington post. The way they bring up both sides of the argument is very simple and easy to follow and I think attracts the readers. Through out the article they explain why food can be art, and then immediately right after the statement they show the other point of view. They show the counter argument. I think since this subject is not universal and there are a broad variety of opinions, I think it is good that they show different point of views and they don’t narrow in on one side of it. It makes the article more interesting by seeing both sides; it brings up more knowledge and thoughts. It brings up sides of the argument that you never would of thought of.

In the big debate, they explained that food cant be art because how a meal is just one thing after another. They counter argued that by saying it can be art by saying how even most music calls on a tonal plot to keep the audience involved, as well just like food. In the article of Telfer “is Food Art”? also brings up an argument like the one in the debate. She explains “Suppose a chef working for Marks and Spencer creates a superb pie, which is then turned out by thousand. Are all the pies works of art? Or is the abstract recipe the only work of art?” (17) which relates back to the debate of the article that a meal is just one thing after another. This argument I consider more the abstract recipe is the actual piece of art. The repetition of the food making over and over again shouldn’t be considered art. I think personally the repetition of making the plates of food over and over again takes the art out of it because you don’t put that “astethetic” taste into all of the plates made anymore. In the Telfers article, she explains that aesthetic reaction is necessary for something to be considered art. Our reaction to aesthetic is, “ based soley on how the object appears to the senses (Telfer,9). I think after meal after meal, or pie after pie that reaction comes like more of a routine, so it shouldn’t be considered art.

In this big debate: Can Food Be Serious Art? Another argument it brought up is that food cant be art because big fancy restaurants main goal, are not all about serving art. They only care about the status and money of the restaurants and how to keep them successful. In Telfers article there is a similar argument to this argument. When she brings up when people or even restaurants in this case have different purposes like the success instead of the actual piece of art is not considered an aesthetic reaction but should be called a “non- instrumental reaction” instead. A non-instrumental reaction is when you don’t care about the benefit of others. (Telfer 10) You’re happier about the actual success of the restaurants then the art. Relating to this argument, I think restaurants that are chains and fast food restaurants are under this “non-instrumental reaction” category, not the aesthetic reaction category. The fast food and chain restaurants only care about the success of there own food and don’t care about the actual quality of it. The restaurants that take time to bring out the food to their customers and care about each plate falls under the aesthetic reaction instead of the non- instrumental reaction.

In the end, the reason I like this article is because this article I found does not end with a conclusion with an actual answer of “is food art”. This article correlates with my opinion of the subject. I think there are different points of views and different thoughts and I don’t think it will ever be ever universal. They both bring up great point of views. By showing the different points of views, it shares the knowledge of both points of views to everyone.

(2009 Sept 23). The Big Debate: Can Food Be Serious Art?” [Washington Post]. Retrieved Feburary 02, 2014 from <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/22/AR2009092203137.html>.

Telfer, E. (2002). Food as art. In Neill, A. & Ridley, A (Eds.), Arguing About Art: Contemporary Philosophical Debates (2 ed., pp. 9-27). New York: Routledge.

A Chefs masterpiece. Is that art?

Jan29

Objectives:

Explore the notion of food as an artform.
Consider cultural differences in the production and consumption food.

IS FOOD ART?

I really enjoyed Elizabeths Telfers’ article Food as Art. The questions that she brings up about if food should be considered a piece of art are all really fascinating. She also brings up the broad variety of interpretations and outlooks people have on this subject.

A big part of article is about the meaning of aesthetic reaction. What does the word “aesthetic” really mean? In the article “Food as art” there are some points that are brought up. Aesthetic reactions relate generally to tastes and smells, we can distinguish liking the taste and smell of food from improving it and third, “the non-neutral, vivid and non-instrumental reaction to tastes and smells can be combined with a judgment.” I think this is all saying that aesthetics is anything that invokes any of the 5 sensory responses.

One of the statements she brings up is about what she considers an aesthetic reaction. The statement is about liking something because it’s healthy for you instead of the actual look and pleasure of it. “if I like the way cottage cheese contrasts in flavor and texture with rye bread” (Telfer,17) that’s a aesthetic reaction. But if you like it because its “low-calrie and high in fiber” that’s not an aesthetic reaction. (17) That is not involved with your sensory. My question is, how do you distinguish if it’s a sensory function or not.

Do people value the sense of different things more then others? I think some people value food more then others, some people value the taste, the smell and the look a lot more then others. Who ever values the senses more, I think have the right to consider food art just like certain jobs/artists. Just like in Ellen Dissanayake’s essay, she thinks art is suppose to have meaning and mean something to someone. So i think food can mean alot more to people then others. In that case, i think it can be considered “art” but not to everyone.

When I look at my food, I don’t consider what I make a piece of art because I don’t put time and effort into my food. I don’t put the finishing touches on my plates. But I can see a chef for that matter saying there food is a piece of art. Making food is there job as well as their enjoyment. They thrive to make that perfect plate and perfect taste. That example I think they have the right to call that art.

I think the difference between fast food and slow food, is the art and process of it. Fast food like they said in the video, its not a process, you get the same thing every time. So i agree with the video that fast food is not a art. Staying home and cooking your own meal, that is more of an art. More of a variety and you have ability to make it which ever and what ever you want. You can use your aesthetic reaction, your senses, to make that food. Which I consider ART!

Reflection:

After i read this weeks artifact about food, it was cool to actually think what food i thought was art or not art. At first, i never really categorized my food as a piece of art. After all these readings, clips, i really had different opinions about it.

This article from Telfer, Food as Art talked about different pieces of art that were shown through food. There are a couple of aspects such as culture, emotional, tradition and style that all play a factor in the consideration of food being art. At first, i never thought as my food, i made as art because i never put the time and effort into to make it worthy. But I now realize people like chefs, where making food is there job should be considered a form of art. There Job is to make the perfection in there work, in there food. They have emotional attachments to there food. Telfer explains that when chefs make there food, its intended to be “savoured, appraised, thought about, discussed-and many eaters consider them in this way” (14). Which i think this statement is quite accurate. When you put that much time and effort into your work, i would consider it as a piece of “art”. For example, Here is a video of one of the best chefs in the world, proving how much spices and different things you can put in ONE DISH to make it your own. He puts his time and effort into cooking, Making it a PIECE OF ART.

I was also interested in the 2 presentations about the Fast food and slow food. Art is definitely should be considered a process. What makes Fast food not considered art is because its not a process. Staying home and cooking your meals, takes time and consideration on what to make and what to put in the plate your making. The video that was shown above, represents what slow food is all about. You get the ability to make it taste exactly as you want. There is most definitely differences in what should be considered as art or what should not be.

Future:

After reading this article and clips, I want to be more aware of what I’m eating. I want to consider what is piece of art and what isn’t. Being in my own apartment, I have the chance to create my own food and pieces of “art”. I think i will appreciate more what I’m making and eating since I am making it . I want to keep learning and surrounding my self with food that is known as “art”

Tefler, E. (2002). Food as Art. In Neill, A. & Riley, A. (eds.) Arguing About Art: Contemporary Philosophical Debates (2nd ed., Chap. 2). New York, NY: Routledge.