Food, Art, & Science
Nathan Myhrvold, the author of Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking gave a TED talk in 2011 about his unique way of looking at food. The talk, titled”Cooking as never seen before,” is a discussion of Myhrvold’s book and some of the amazing half pictures of food his team created in his lab. Myhrvold starts by talking about the traditional forms of learning to cook and how few modern techniques are taught in cooking schools. He talks about the innovations and technology that have formed this new “modernist cuisine.” Myhrvold’s main goal is to teach people about the science behind cooking and show the wonder and beauty that go into creating truly good food.
By integrating science and creativity to create food that is ideal in its form Myhrvold has created a new kind of art form. Myhrvold has opened up his lab space as a restaurant where he served his famous chef friend Ferran Adria and several exclusive guests a 50-course meal. The meal sounds somewhat similar to a live art exhibition. New York Times author Dwight Garner captured the aura of the elite meal and describes the dishes in the way a critic would evaluate a valued piece of art;
“Myhrvold’s “Bloody Mary,” a stick of celery with a bit of mayonnaise piped on top, arrived looking like a canapé. Popped into the mouth, however, it expanded. The mayonnaise, it turned out, was alcoholic —Everclear and milk emulsified into oil. On top of this were balanced microcubes of clam-juice gel, as well as tiny juice sacs from a lime that had been cryo-frozen and then shattered. The cocktail was dusted with tomato powder, horseradish, salt and pepper.”
To classify food as art it’s important to look at the roles art plays in our society. Some of the purposes of art include evoking emotional responses, acting as a creative outlet, or presenting aesthetic pleasure. Food absolutely fits into each one of these categories. Many chefs view their food as a piece of artwork that they have created for the enjoyment of others. Chefs also find enjoyment in creating food knowing that it is going to be consumed and appreciated by patrons. I think chefs hold a certain level of confidence and pride in their food knowing that they have created something that will be relished by their audience, similar to the way artists find pride in their work.
In Ellen Dissanayake’s speech “What is Art For?” she studies the eras of art and what purpose they’ve played across time. Myhrvold’s modernist food approach closely aligns with the modernist and post-modernist views of art Dissanayake described in several ways. Dissanayake describes the goals of modernism stating, “concern with elucidating principles such as taste and beauty that govern all the arts and indeed make them not simply paintings or statues but examples of (fine) art”(p. 3). I believe this is what Myhrvold has set out to do, he wants people to experience food on a higher level with his meticulous preparation and innovation. Modernism was for the elite and art was only to be understood by the educated. Similarly, Myhrvold’s laboratory restaurant has been called the “most elite pop-up restaurant, where almost no one can get a reservation” (Garner).
On the other hand, Myhrvold’s food and technique are so far fetched and scientific that the postmodernist would easily appreciate them. Dissanayake describes the movement’s use of hybrid mediums and claims that the art postmodernists praise can be “puzzling, if not shocking and offensive” (p. 6). Back in the restaurant, Myhrvold has presented his guests with salted wine and he discusses how he has broken the mold: “’The way we treat wine is governed by an implicit set of rules and strictures that rival fundamentalist religions in their severity and intensity. It shocks people to put salt in wine’” (Garner). There are obvious similarities between the postmodernist movement and Myhrvold’s overbearing, complexly scientific food. His food tends to be shockingly different and so outside of the box that for some it may be too much. Postmodernists would view Myhrvold’s technological innovativeness as unexpected and complex.
On Myhrvold’s website he outlines the 10 principles of his modernist cuisine and the first principle states: “Cuisine is a creative art in which the chef and diner are in dialogue. Food is the primary medium for this dialogue, but all sensory aspects of the dining experience contribute to it.” He has accepted his food and creativity as works of art and based off the striking images from his 50 course meal, I would have to agree.
To view photos of the meal click here.
To watch Myhrvold’s TED Talk click here.
Dissanayake, E. (1991). What is art for? Keynote adresses 1991 (NAEA Convention), (pp.15-26).
Garner, D. (2014, June 15). The End of Cuisine. The New York Times. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
Myhrvold, N. (n.d.). 10 Principles of Modernist Cuisine. Retrieved February 1, 2015.