Public Art & Censorship

• Learn about public funding for the Arts.
• Examine public art’s role in capturing history and place-making.
• Explore the relationship of cultural values to civic dialogue, beautification and identity.

Artifact: Development of the Sciences and Development of the Arts Murals

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Public Art – Response

The main question is about the purpuse of public art. In my opinion, it represents history, the right for public expression and creativity. It unites people who have common past. The fact that this kind of art is public makes it widely available.

There is a lot of controversy related to public art. “Public art is as diverse as the people who view it” (Doss 1). That is why it raises contentious dialogues. America is full of  people with different historical and cultural background. At some point all of them came to live at the same place. People who live at the same place in the same time constitute a community. Respect is a crucial element of prosperity in a society, especially among the people who constitute it and between the people and their political representatives.

Development of the Arts Mural created by Arthur and Albert Runquist is very inspiring. I like the fact that figure at base represents human aspiration that is universal. That figure is strong and powerful and bears the whole world of artistic achievements on his shoulders. It gets the precious materials for creations from Mother earth. In each section we can see a specific development of art in society from the primitive period until the appearance of cinema and radio.

Development of the Sciences Mural represents the development of science from stone age until modern period. Again, there is a figure at base which is also strong as powerful and a little bit more burdened than the figure in the arts mural. That posture is understandable if we connect his posture with humanity that is rising to erect posture of thinking being (Runquist).

These two murals make me think about all aspects of human development. In education system a person can study arts or sciences. Both of these areas of human achievement are represented from the very beginnings to the current progress. The fact that these murals are exhibited in a University library gives them even greater significance. Generations of students have been influenced by these representations of human progress. These works of art inspire people to be industrious and creative. They motivate people for great achievements. That was certainly the reason for their creation by the brothers Runquist.

“Public art includes sculptures, murals, memorials, monuments, civic gateways, pocket parks, playgrounds, and outdoor performances” (Doss 2). Virtually anyone is invited to make contribution to represent a certain cultural interest in a public place. These contributions are funded privately or publicly.

I was surprised when I read that “the 18th century public cemetery of thousands of enslaved Africans was paved over an forgotten” (Doss 3). I was also relieved to have seen that it has been restored. It is an important part of American history and as such it has to be given significance.

Public art also serves to beautify places and to give them spirit. It beautifies a place because it makes it unique. Such works of art usually are unique. The spirit of a place is formed through this uniqueness and the history that is represented by the creation.

Issues of diversity, ethnicity, gender, age and cultural heritage all have to be incorporate in the artistic form. The perfect example of that is the public workDanzas Indignas, which represents people of all ethnical and cultural backgrounds that ever lived on that place. There was a lot of controversy over this monument, but the final outcome has been that it actually helped to unify the residents (Doss 8-10).

The purpose of public art is to bring people together in notion that they are all equal no matter of their skin color, cultural and historical background. That is why I respect it and the artists who create it.

Works Cited:

Doss, Erica. Public Art Controversy: Cultural Expression and Civic Debate. American for the Arts, October 2006. Print.

Public art serves as the expression of history, culture and creativity. It is used for civic beautification and place-making. It also creates civic identity because it “includes sculptures, murals, memorials, monuments, civic gateways, pocket parks, playgrounds, and outdoor performances” (Doss 2). Therefore, it raises issues of diversity, ethnicity, gender, age and cultural heritage. In a place like Baldwin Park the creation of Danzas Indigenas united people no matter of their ethnicity and cultural heritage. All of them were given attention in this monument and no ethnic group was ignored. Even the intolerant people, such as a white politician who during post-World War II Mexican immigration said that it was better before they came (Doss 8-9). Even such a person’s voice was counted in.

In my opinion public art is necessary for every place because it gives the place a soul and makes it recognizable. People like to feel connected to each other and to the place they share as a common good. Murals and monuments are especially interesting to me because I think that they are the most expressive. Public art is usually financed with public money, so that is the reason why all the citizens have right to chose what would best represent their history and culture they share.

Murals about the development of  the arts and sciences are universal and that is why they fascinate me.

Learning goals for the Future:

I will try and pay more attention to public art in all the new places that I visit because that is the best way to learn as much as possible about the culture of that place. Sometimes there are non-democratic political regimes which build monuments that support oppression and that is also a good thing to know.

Works Cited:

Doss, Erica. Public Art Controversy: Cultural Expression and Civic Debate. American for the Arts, October 2006. Print.

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Remixing Culture

OBJECTIVES

• Become acquainted with copyright as a historic, cultural and economic paradigm and its value and pertinence to creative works.

• Explore the changing nature of copyright in the context of “Remix Culture” and the “Fifth World”

• Examine individual and social values and paradigms of ownership and authorship of cultural media.

• Evaluate the meanings of real and fake and examine their intersection with personal and cultural identity and authenticity

ORIGINAL POST

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Remix Google Image Search

Keywords: creativity, integrity, courage, expressiveness, impression, inspiration, determination, spirituality, dignity, beauty.

REFLECTION

Remixing culture

This assignment made me realize that there is a difference between RO and RW culture. RO culture is read-only culture and RW is re-write culture. I know that for gaining basic knowledge RO culture is inevitable but for becoming creators we need to develop our skills through RW culture. RW culture is especially useful for children. RW culture “invites a response” (Lessig 85). However, in today’s world, RW culture is mostly prohibited to remix although it should be legally available for everyone to use and reuse/recycle.

RO culture emphasizes learning and preserves integrity whereas RW culture emphasizes learning by speaking and teaches integrity (Lessig 87). Sampling is considered to be illegal and covering songs legal and in reality it is basically the same. There is no progress if we don’t use the experience of others.

“Copyright law inhibits new forms of literacy” (Lessig 108). In spite of this law, people still make remixes and adjust the existing forms of digital content in a way which is considered to be illegal. Since we don’t want the children to be involved in piracy, the law has to be changed.

Learning Goals for the Future:

I plan to find out the reasons why RW culture is controversial and to see if there are ways to make it legal. It is a fact that due to availability, people will continue to use digital contents without legal permission and there is a problem of  legitimacy. I believe that it is not legal but it is legitimate.

Works Cited:

Lessig, L. (2008). Comparing Cultures. Remix: Making Art and Commerce Thrive in the Hybrid Economy (pp. 84-116). New York: Penguin Press HC, The.

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OBJECTIVES

• Learn about the history of computer graphics within the context of the global evolution of art production materials and techniques

• Examine the role of technology as a force for cultural maintenance and change

• Discuss the validity of art created with the aid of machines

ORIGINAL POST

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Art, Games and Technology Research

The primary thesis of ”Computer Graphics: Effects of Origins” is that computer changes affect  culture as well. “These changes are not simply technical effects. They contribute to maintenance and change of culturally historical context” (Jones 51). New digital forms are based on traditional forms. “An increasing number of contemporary theorists are stressing the importance of origins and practices in unmasking assumptions within current forms and practices” (Jones 51). Art and culture are only getting an ally in computer programmes. There is a “reliance on previous forms” and there are “evolving possibilities in harmony with larger cultural and historical patterns. There is a “scientific and artistic view of imagery and their evaluation. (Jones 51).

One of the historical examples Jones provides as an illustration of her thesis is the fact that arts and humanities assist scientists. “Engineers and technicians are directing the development of new technologies toward cultural goals before technological ones” (Jones 52). The MIT Media Lab is a result of integration of the three formerly separated  media industries; “Negroponte’s design for the MIT lab’s logo displayed the intersection of three areas, broadcast and motion picture industry, print and publishing industry and the computer industry” (Jones 52). Education and communication as well as entertainment and advertising use computer graphics (Jones 52).

An illustration of Jones’ thesis at work in today’s culture is the use of computer animation in movies and entertainment industry. One of the best examples is the movie “Ted”created by Seth MacFarlane, released in 2012.

Visual producer Jenny Fulle said: “We really focused on motion capture from his waist up–because he has a lot of mannerisms with his hands and he rocks back and forth and moves backwards and forwards and stuff like that. What we would also do is keep a high-definition camera on his face. That way we could also capture a visual representation of what he does with his eyebrows and when his eyes go wide and that sort of thing. We would then give that to the animators so they could just manually take that look and apply it to the bear” (Fulle).

There is much cooperation between artists and scientists. “Practical and professional communities of advertisement, entertainment, publishing, telecommunications, business, finance, education and medicine have joined the academic, scientific and artistic communities in using this medium” (Wikipedia).

References

Jones, B. J. (1990). Computer Graphics: Effects of Origins. LEONARDO: Digital Image – Digital Cinema Supplemental Issue, pp. 52.

Amidi, Amid. (2012). ‘How Seth MacFarlane Created The Animation in “Ted”, Cartoon Brew. Retrieved November 22nd, 2013, from http://www.cartoonbrew.com/feature-film/how-seth-macfarlane-created-the-animation-in-ted-65641.html

Computer animation (November 22nd 2013) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_animation

REFLECTION

Artifact: Animations

 Seth MacFarlane’s animation “Ted”

With the development of technology, art has begun to use many of its achievements. There has been a merge between art and science. “Teams from multiple disciplines are working in academic institutions developing scientific visualization and cognitive and perceptual research” (Jones 52). The whole point of new technology is multidisciplinarity. Education, communication, entertainment, advertising and government research for defense all use computer technology (Jones 52). As I already mentioned, whole movies are made with the aid of technology. One of the latest is Ted, where the whole character is computer animated. That is very exciting.

Computer programs also exist to help artists. Computer can be an “intelligent assistant” (Cohen 55). I think that it is legitimate in some forms of modern art. However for traditional painting for example, traditional techniques will be used like centuries before. Also, an animated character can act in a movie, but it will never win a prize for performance.

Art and science coexist in the modern world. A lot of creativity is necessary for a scientific breakthrough and science can make art more interesting, especially performing arts. Movies have become more exciting with the development of computer technology. Animations make stories more interesting. Today, most of creative jobs is done with the aid of computers. Designers work in computer programs. They have to design a chair by drawing it for example, but to make a 3D model, they need a computer program.

Video games are also a big issue in modern society. People use their energy on solving imaginary problems. The game developers are working on making those people wish to act in reality with the same eagerness. “Both scientific and artistic sources rely on culturally embedded patterns of reality” (Jones 59).

Learning Goals for the Future:

My goal for the future is to learn more about the connection between computer technology, social sciences and art. They all influence each other and I am eager to see the new ways in which this whole collaboration will develop.

Works Cited:

Jones, B. J. (1990). Computer Graphics: Effects of Origins. LEONARDO: Digital Image – Digital Cinema Supplemental Issue, pp. 52.

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Creativity Spirituality

OBJECTIVES

• Become familiar with was in which spirituality influences artists
• Discuss the differences between spirituality and religion
• Examine spirituality as a generative force and a well spring for creativity

OBJECTIVES

• Explore the psychological and emotional curiosity for horror art and its impact on individuals and societies

• Analyze the unique aesthetic qualities of horror art.

• Understand and utilize basic principles of film and television analysis.

ORIGINAL POST

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The Critique of Pure Horror

Horror movies have become extremely popular. The main question is why people enjoy being scared and disgusted while seeing monsters and serial killers.

During the last thirty years, the horror genre has gained a lot of attention even among academics. It has been researched in sociological and cultural way but also as a psychological phenomenon.

“An Introduction to the American Horror Film” by the film critic Robin Wood was published in 1979 and the horror genre was studied within psychoanalytic theory. Horror movies were thought to be a metaphor for an oppressed society: the monster represented the marginalized, “Frankenstein symbolized homosexuality, whereas zombies from “Night of the Living Dead” stood for dysfunctional families.

In 1986, Barbara Creed, a film professor at the University of Melbourne explained in the article “Horror and the Monstrous-Feminine” that horror is attractive because people are nostalgic for childhood when filth was not taboo.

Carol J. Clover of the University of California wrote the essay “Her Body, Himself” in which she suggested that horrors make teenager males the opportunity to identify themselves with the only woman who survives the terror of monsters. This gave the male teenager audience the chance to connect with their feminine side. A typical example of such movies is “Halloween” and the role of Jamie Lee Curtis.

Other psychoanalytic theories saw horror as a way to deal with darker feelings. The critic Morris Dickstein wrote the essay “The Aesthetics of Fright” in 1980 and compared horror with the roller coaster.

The philosopher Noël Carroll published “The Philosophy of Horror” in 1990. He revealed the connection between pleasure and curiosity which horror movies inspire. He argued that the existence of monsters in horror movies is hard to understand. He gave the example of a mother trying to find out what is wrong with her daughter in “The Exorcist”. The unknown is the factor that attracts curiosity. Therefore, the repulsiveness of monsters becomes attractive due to the unknown.

Cynthia Freeland, a feminist critic and a professor at the University of Houston explained in “The Naked and the Undead” that the audience has the distance to enjoy the bloodbaths.

Adam Lowenstein, an associate professor in English and film studies at the University of Pittsburgh, wrote in the essay “The Wiley-Blackwell History of American film” that the audience appreciate performance in horror movies and he calls it “spectacle horror”. He depicted the scene when Laurie Strode in “Halloween” who discovers three dead bodies at once as the example of a staged performance brilliantly directed by John Carpenter.

The conclusion is that there is no theory which can entirely explain the appeal of horror. Horror has become a mainstream genre, but it is the only one that provokes fear.

Being scared  one of the pleasures of childhood – children experience this by playing peekaboo and by reading “Hansel and Gretel” . Therefore, the psychoanalytic approach recognizes this childhood fear as a positive fear which causes fun.

References:

Zinoman, J. (2011). ‘The Critique of Pure Horror’, The New York Times. Retrieved November 8th, 2013, from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/17/opinion/sunday/17gray.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Why Are There Horror Movies?

The writer of this article talks about the Roman Polanski’s horror movie “Repulsion” being shown  in a local film club. Some members enjoyed it and later talked about it and the others didn’t watch it. He asked himself why some of them, including himself, enjoyed fear.

Aristotle said that disgust, as well as other ugly and painful things, is connected with learning and that people enjoy learning.

If we turn to evolution we will find out that we pay attention to horrible scenes in real life in order to avoid them. The theory of evolution doesn’t explain why we look for unpleasant emotions in horror movies.

Watching “Repulsion” is different than real life. People enjoy it because it is fiction . In reality, on the other hand, everyone would want to help the heroine. Fiction means pleasure and reality would mean action and taking responsibility. While watching movies, we can relax and therefore enjoy. The writer believes that it is because we like to save psychic energy.

Freud talked about why people laugh at jokes and reached a conclusion that the excess energy goes off as laughter. The writer of this article thinks that, in general, when our energy is released we feel pleasure.

Norman N. Holland thinks that stories and movies stimulate our emotions and that we enjoy that even when those emotions are negative. That is the case because we know that although our negative feelings will be provoked, we won’t have anything to do to protect the protagonists of the movie for example, because their danger is not real and that gives us pleasure.

References:

Holland, N. (2010). ‘Why Are There Horror Movies?’, Psychology Today. Retrieved November 8th, 2013, from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/is-your-brain-culture/201001/why-are-there-horror-movies

Comparison

In the first article the author talks about curiosity being the main factor of the attraction of horror movies. Carrol says that: “Thus, to a large extent, the horror story is driven explicitly by curiosity. It engages its audience by being involved in processes of disclosure, discovery, proof, explanation, hypothesis, and confirmation” (Carroll 279). The author of  “The Critique of Pure Horror” agreed with Carroll in many things especially with the assumption that the unknown inspires curiosity. Carroll: “All narratives might be thought to involve the desire to know – the desire to know at least the outcome of the interaction of forces made salient in the plot” (Carroll 281). Zinoman also mentions that psychoanalytic theories see horror as a way to deal with darker feelings and I think that it is also true as well as the assumption that we seek horror in order to get in touch with our inner child that used to play peekaboo and read “Hansel and Gretel”.

The second article seeks for the explanation why people enjoy horror movies. Holland mentions Aristotle’s theory about people’s thirst for general knowledge and horror stories are something strange to the human brain and that is why we want to find some sort of a reason to why we enjoy watching horrible things. We wouldn’t watch these horrible things were they happening in real life and even if we would, it would only be for the reason of saving ourselves or someone in danger and that wouldn’t be pleasant. However we enjoy watching all the blood and gore and monsters in horror movies because it is fiction and we don’t have to act, just to consume the content. Carrol also says: ” However, with art-horror, it is only the thought of the creature that is at issue; we know that it does not exist; we are not taxed literally by practical questions about what is to be done” (Carroll 287).

References:

Carroll, N. (2002). Why Horror?. In Neill, A. & Riley, A. (eds.) Arguing About Art: Contemporary Philosophical Debates (2nd ed., Chap. 17). New York, NY: Routledge.

REFLECTION

Artifact:

This assignment made me think about why I enjoy watching horror movies. I agreed with most of the statements I read. The authors made sense. Holland thinks that the main reason why people enjoy sight they would be terrified by in real life is exactly because it isn’t real life. The world of fiction is a realm where there is no need to react and save a person in danger, but just to relax and have fun and maybe even to acknowledge  some of the horror situations  as educational because they could happen in real life.

“The horror story is driven explicitly by curiosity. It engages its audience by being involved in processes of disclosure, discovery, proof, explanation, hypothesis, and confirmation” (Carroll 279). I also agree that curiosity is the main reason for watching terrifying occurrences. There is also the adrenaline rush. People get to feel excited from the comfort of their home or cinema without being physically engaged. That is why the horror genre is so popular.

Learning Goals for the Future:

My goal for the future is to explore the nuances between different types of horror movies and to get deeper into the psychology of horror. I am interested to know where the inspiration for making horror movies comes from. Those legends and myths are what I am curious about and their sociological background.

Works Cited:

Carroll, N. (2002). Why Horror?. In Neill, A. & Riley, A. (eds.) Arguing About Art: Contemporary Philosophical Debates (2nd ed., Chap. 17). New York, NY.

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Art of Personal Adornment

Unit Objective:

• 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

-Art and Human Values

My future learning goal is to work on myself every day in order to become the person who respects all the values that are important for me and never forget to nourish values in order to become successful.

-What Is Art?

My future learning goals will be connected to appreciating art in new ways in the light of discovering whole new meanings by trying to look at classical works of art from a more universal point of view. It will be very interesting going to Louvre one day for example and thinking about why “The Mona Lisa” has been valued from the day it was painted up to now.

-Food As Art

My future learning goal will be to explore cuisines from all over the world and try to find out which food may be considered universal, what are the differences and what are the similarities among the dishes of different nations.

-Art of Personal Adornment

I plan to read more texts about psychology that deal with personal adornment and body alteration. That is very interesting because I still have doubts why body adornment is so important to people when body is mortal. I have noticed that most people work more on their outsides than on their insides.

-Aesthetics of Horror

My goal for the future is to explore the nuances between different types of horror movies and to get deeper into the psychology of horror. I am interested to know where the inspiration for making horror movies comes from. Those legends and myths are what I am curious about and their sociological background.

-Creative Spirituality

My goal is to see which works of art impress me the most. It will be interesting to explore the art of different cultures and from different periods of time.

-Art, Technology and games

My goal for the future is to learn more about the connection between computer technology, social sciences and art. They all influence each other and I am eager to see the new ways in which this whole collaboration will develop.

-Remixing Culture

I plan to find out the reasons why RW culture is controversial and to see if there are ways to make it legal. It is a fact that due to availability, people will continue to use digital contents without legal permission and there is a problem of  legitimacy. I believe that it is not legal but it is legitimate.

-Censorship and Public Art

I will try and pay more attention to public art in all the new places that I visit because that is the best way to learn as much as possible about the culture of that place. Sometimes there are non-democratic political regimes which build monuments that support oppression and that is also a good thing to know.

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The Nature of Human Values Work cited:

Wekmeister, W. H. (1967) The Individual in Man and His Values. Ch. 1, pp. 3-32. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.

What is Art For? Work cited:

Dissanayake, E. (1991). What is art for? In K. C. Caroll (Ed.). Keynote addresses 1991 (NAEA Convention), (pp.15-26). Reston, VA: National Art Education Association

Is Food Art?  Work Cited:

Telfer, 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.

The Art of Personal Adornment   Work Cited:

From Customizing the Body by C.R. Sanders. Temple University Press, 1989.

The Aesthetics of Horror   Work Cited:

Carroll, N. (2002). Why Horror?. In Neill, A. & Riley, A. (eds.) Arguing About Art: Contemporary Philosophical Debates (2nd ed., Chap. 17). New York, NY.

Creative Spirituality   Work Cited:

Grey, A. (2001). Art as Spiritual Practice. The Mission of Art (1st ed., pp. 205-233). Boston & London: Shambhala.

Art, Technology and Games   Work Cited:

Jones, B. J. (1990). Computer Graphics: Effects of Origins. LEONARDO: Digital Image – Digital Cinema Supplemental Issue, pp. 52.

Remixing Culture   Work Cited:

Lessig, L. (2008). Comparing Cultures. Remix: Making Art and Commerce Thrive in the Hybrid Economy (pp. 84-116). New York: Penguin Press HC, The.

Censorship and Public Art   Work Cited:

Doss, Erica. Public Art Controversy: Cultural Expression and Civic Debate. American for the Arts, October 2006. Print.

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What Is Art?

Food As Art

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 of food.

ORIGINAL POST

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Is food art?

My opinion is that food is art. Elizabeth Telfer says that “aesthetic qualities are capacities which some things have to arouse reaction of a certain kind in us.” [1]“It is at least reasonable to allow an aesthetic satisfaction to the connoisseur of wines and to the gourmet” (Urmson 1962: 14).  If there is aesthetic satisfaction, then food is a work of art. A work of art can also be “made for use”[2]. Food is made for use as well as for pleasure and  nutrition. Elizabeth Telfer says that food is often arranged in creative and attractive ways which constitute a visual work of art. The taste of food and drink as well as the look of it can give rise to aesthetic reactions, so that food and drink constitute works of art appealing to the senses of taste and smell.[3] “If the distinction between craft and art is based on the degree of creativeness, some cookery can still qualify as an art.”[4] A cook following a recipe still needs interpretation. [5] The cook has to make choices, so he is an artist, a performing artist and cooking is therefore a kind of performing art.

There is the argument that memory is needed for subsequent analysis of a work of art. Food correspondents  are able to recall the food by written notes, as any kind of critic might be. [6]

Food is a minor art and fine restaurants aren’t subsidised. This art form will survive without state subsidy, whereas major arts, such as opera, won’t.[7]

Aesthetic eating is eating with attention and discernment. It takes some practice.[8]

Food is a minor art because it is transient, cannot have meaning or move us. A recipe is not transient, but the nature of ingredients changes through time. Food cannot have meaning and that’s another reason for being considered as a minor art. There can be emotion behind the product but not in the product itself, like in major arts. Food also cannot move us  fundamentally, but it can cheer us. [9]

Postmodernism best represents my views about food and art. “The postmodernists’ exposure of the rigid, exclusive and self-satisfied attitudes that often lay behind the rhetoric of modernist ideology is, in large measure, welcome, as is their preparing the way for the liberation and democratization of art.”[10]Postmodernist aesthetics proclaims that there are a multiplicity of individual realities that are infinitely interpretable and equally worthy of aesthetic presentation and regard. [11] It, to some extent, means that it depends on us, what is to be called a work of art.

I also agree with Ellen Dissanayake when she says that “art is a normal and necessary behavior of human beings that like talking, exercising, playing, working, socializing, learning, loving and nurturing should be encouraged and developed in everyone.” [12] According to this theory food is art because it is necessary for a normal behavior. Also, food preparation can be a kind of a ritual and Ellen Dissayanake talks about rituals having aesthetic value. [13]

Not all food is art. Slow food is art and fast food is not. I agree with Scott Huette when he says: “It’s a flavor that the guests, some of whom live just a few kilometers away could find only at this table on this hillside, served by this mother and son with their monumental square faces out of a Renaissance fresco.” [14] On the other hand he also says the following: “The McDonald’s corporation has a slogan – one taste worldwide . That perfectly encapsulates the stultifying, homogenizing effects of its global empire. Why would anyone want to live in such a world? What conceivable motive other than a profit motive would drive anyone to pursue one taste so ruthlessly?” [15] That is why fast food is not art. Art needs to have a spiritual quality, and rarely something made fast can have it. Slow food has tradition and that is a major value for it to qualify as art both in aesthetic and classifying sense.

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[1] Elizabeth Telfer, Food as art, p. 11

[2] Elizabeth Telfer, Food as art, p. 12

[3] Elizabeth Telfer, Food as art, p. 14

[4] Elizabeth Telfer, Food as art, p. 16

[5] Elizabeth Telfer, Food as art, p. 16

[6] Elizabeth Telfer, Food as art, p. 21

[7] Elizabeth Telfer, Food as art, p. 23

[8] Elizabeth Telfer, Food as art, p. 24

[9] Elizabeth Telfer, Food as art, pp. 24-26

[10] Ellen Dissanayake, “Art for life’s sake”, p. 20

[11] Ellen Dissayanake, “Art for life’s sake”, pp. 20-21

[12] Ellen Dissayanake, “Art for life’s sake” p. 26

[13] Ellen Dissayanake, “Art for life’s sake”, pp. 24-26

[14] http://youtu.be/Szq5Lj6-hOM

[15] http://youtu.be/VGCQ40d063Y

REFLECTION

I never thought about food as art, but this unit made me take it into consideration and persuaded me that food can qualify as art. It is a “minor art” and as Elizabeth Telfer says: ” food is necessarily transient, it cannot have meaning and it cannot move us” (Telfer 24). However food still is art because it is not only useful but it is there for our pleasure also. It influences our senses and every person has their own tastes. We would all have the same taste in food, were food not an art form.

I have always enjoyed food and new tastes, but I never thought about it much, because I am not interested in cooking. I usually eat to satisfy my hunger. However, there is a reason why I prefer some food over other.

Future Goal

My future learning goal will be to explore cuisines from all over the world and try to find out which food may be considered universal, what are the differences and what are the similarities among the dishes of different nations.

Work Cited:

Telfer, 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.

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