In the article “Is Food Art? Chefs, Creativity, and the Restaurant Business?” written by Fabio Parasecoli on the website Huffington Post it discusses the strong connection made between art and food. His first main arguments discuss the innovation and creativity, “innovation and creativity are included among the traits that are most commonly attributed to a successful chef in the highest spheres of haute cuisine.” Looking at the chefs of all of these nice restaurants it states that there is a lot expected out of each chef. Being the main chef in a high-end restaurant it is expected of them to deliver an amazing dish that the tasters have not seen and tasted before. Customers and critics are looking for something new that will intrigue their taste buds. It is also very important to them to be able to use different technological resources to connect them and keep them on the map. The next point he discusses is the “extension of the first.” This meaning the findings of different ways to create new art and is innovated in that aspect. This article questions whether or not artists and chefs share a same relationship with donors and investors. It states how chefs rely on their investors but also it is their creativity that will make the investors be more committed in their product and goals. It is up to the investors to take a risk and rely on the creativity of the chef to create great dishes while they also work on how to connect to the customers.
In the article written by Elizabeth Tefler it also discusses food as an art form. She states, “People sometimes treat them as a works of art, and I have argued that we can compare the creator of a recipe to a composer, and the cook that follows one to a performer” (Tefler, 18). This comment goes hand and hand with Parasecoli’s ideas of the relationship he presents with the artist and the donor and the chef and the investor. Their ideas work together to prove that food is an art form. They both directly compare and show the similarities artists have with chefs. You cannot be a chef over night and just like you cannot be an artist over night. It requires skill and craftsmanship to be successful in the art and food business. I completely agree with these statements, I enjoy going into a high-end restaurant and eating the delicious and beautiful food just as much I enjoy going into my favorite bands concert.
Haute cuisine is presented so beautifully as a painting is presented beautifully. But this also raises thoughts with that being not everyone views the same thing beautiful which goes back to reading from Unit 3 What is Art? The TEDD talk by Dennis Dutton speaks upon how beauty is in the eye of the beholder. He believes that certain items and pieces are attractive to the eye. The issue here is not many people speak about whether or not the taste is considered art. If we are looking at the TEDD talk can taste go into a category of beauty? Taste as a form of beauty isn’t talked about much. Though food can be considered beautiful and art to the eye, I believe that the taste of food should also be considered art. We see chefs speak with such craftsmanship of their food, which I believe is very important to pay attention to. In the article written by Tefler she looks into the book The Good Food Guide Dinner Party Book, one chef stated, “…the result is rather elegantly sweet, with the sharpness of the cherries contrasting with the mildness of the filling” (Tefler, 14). Here the art of food is focusing on the taste of the food. I believe many food tastes beautifully.
So how does one decipher what makes food art? This is a question constantly being raised by fellow art goers and food lovers across the world. Art just like food is universal. Across the borders we see different techniques that go into cooking just like different techniques and style that go into artwork. Who decides if food is art? Is it something to even decide? I for one believe that food should be considered art. The Chefs focus a good amount of their time creativity and ways to have the customers and investors enjoy their food as much as they do. Food is not only beautiful and artistic to the eye but as well as taste. I also believe it is important to have a open idea of how food is considered art.
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