Can Food Be Art?
April 23, 2015
Before looking at the question of food as art, I first want to think about how to define art. I have always seen art as the product of some type of artistic expression that was done with the intention of being art. There should be a reason or meaning behind whatever the artist is producing and it should be able to be received by the audience in someway or another. Tefler quotes in the article that art is “an artifact primarily intended for aesthetic consideration.” What I would like to question is what is “aesthetic consideration” entail? Is it just whether or not you think the work is pleasely to the eye? Or could this include touch, hearing, or even taste?
If taste is part of the “aesthetic consideration then maybe food can be art. I think that there is a difference that needs to be made though between making a sandwich for lunch and creating a work of art made with food. It all comes back to the intention of the creator. If the intent is to create art and create an experience for the audience using taste as a means to create it, then that could be considered art.
We can also think about the idea of craft. In the “Slow Food” video it decribes how a tradtional dish is being put together. There was a process that involved a craft of sorts as will as the intent to create a dish that would be aesthetically pleasing to he people who planned to enjoy it. The idea of craft as another word for art goes back to even earlier than the Renaissance where painting and sculpting were considered crafts.
Even in this world of craft beer that Eugene seems to hold sacred, could the making of that be considered art? Now this might be a stretch, but it relates to the idea that even craft beers can create type of connoisseurship that people enjoying participating in and it gives them an aesthetic pleasure in the experience and that is the makers intent.
2 Responses to “Can Food Be Art?”
April 24th, 2015 at 4:51 pm
I think you bring up very valid points in relation to the controversy between the relationship of food and art. I believe much like you have stated that some forms of food are representations of art. However, things such as a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich are not an example of art because it does not require any special skills or visual esthetics. Your example of craft beers is such an interesting one. I think there is so much to be said for the artistic natures of beer specialties. All beers are not created equally and some have certain flavor profiles or aftertastes that make them individually unique. Additionally, wine is another example of this art and digestible food relationship. Wine drinking is an experience all its own. Wine drinkers have an entire process including aging, swirling, sniffing good wines, even tasting them at wineries directly much like art galleries. Further, the question I pose for you is even though beer and wine are great examples of art as food, are these in fact forms of traditional food just because they are digestible or is it more than that? How does this relationship between traditional food and drinks connect back to the reading by Tefler?
April 25th, 2015 at 7:34 pm
I enjoyed your correlation between craft beers and art. I think in response to that question, it relates back to a point made in the reading. I believe that the preparation of food, and in this case the creation of beer, can be artistic. It takes a professional to create what they create. However, it lacks what I consider to be an important characteristic of a work of art, and that is that art can be interpreted by the viewer. I do not think that most people look at their plate of food and try to find a deeper meaning in the food. I would conclude by arguing that the preparation of food is artistic. Chefs and brew-masters can be artistic in the way they create and present food and drink, however I would argue that food and drink is not an art overall.