As far as I am concerned, I believe that food is an art sometimes. In order to make a judgment whether food can be considered as an art, we need to take many factors into consideration. Before we come to the question whether food is art, we need to figure out what aesthetic reactions are. Aesthetic reactions refer to a species of pleasure to something (pg. 10). Meanwhile, we can find objective judgment when we react to something, without entailing whether these things are graceful or beautiful or not. Meanwhile, the definition of work of art is argument. According to Urmson, in order to figure out whether one thing is an work of art, besides man-made stuff, we need to take the exhibitor’s and maker’s intentions into consideration. The opinion of the society should be considered as the criterion of aesthetic consideration as well.
As is known to all, food is made by human being so that it is man-made stuff. Meanwhile, as some food is made and cooked as a work of art by the cook, there is no doubt that these kinds of food can be considered as an art because the cook’s intentions should be taken into consideration when deciding whether a dish should be looked as an art. Moreover, the smell and taste of the food should also be considered as the criterion of an art as well. Only when the food smell and taste good, can the food be considered as an art. However, there is no doubt that the food is not an art if the smell and taste cannot lead to the eaters’ aesthetic reactions. The food is an art if the cook and maker make the food for aesthetic consideration when making the food. If the cook want to make the eaters have the sense of pleasure when eating the food they cook and they succeed, the food can be considered as an art.
According to Ellen Dissanayake, art belongs to the term of emotion and psychology and it is human being’s inherent biological or universal characteristic. We can conclude that only when the man-made stuff which is made to make others have the sense of pleasure and take the aesthetic reactions into consideration, can the stuff be regarded as an art. In order words, only when the food smells and tastes good enough to give rise to people’s sense of pleasure and the cooks look the food as an art and take the eaters’ aesthetic reactions into consideration when cooking, can the food be regarded as an art.
Hi Shelly,
You have a very interesting take on the subject. I have read through a couple of the blogs and have noticed that the majority of people tend to agree with you and consider food, at least some food, to be art. Me on the other hand tend to lean a different way. Some of the points that you brought up are unique and intriguing but I disagree with them slightly. One of your arguments is that since food is made with the chef’s hands, it should be looked at as art. So many things are created by human hands, using it as a requirement does not seem like a good idea. I think that if you want to argue that food should be considered art, the only real way you can go about it is using the emotional argument, which I understand but again disagree with. If a chef can make food with the purpose of evoking some deep down emotion aside from hunger then I would understand an argument for art. Great insight though and thanks for sharing!
I completely agree that food is art SOMETIMES. I do think food, as art is a good argument because both sides have good points. But for me, I think food can be art. I wouldn’t say it’s always art but it definitely can be a work of art. The quote goes “A work of art is by definition a man-made thing, even if the human involvement need consist of no more than putting a natural object in a gallery and giving it a title.” (p.5) Which you mentioned that food is made by humans. I wouldn’t say food is art only when it smells and tastes good. I think it can just be aesthetically pleasing to the eye. As long as you find it interesting and see creativity in it, I think you are able to perceive this piece as art. I think the food can look incredible or just creative and at the same time it could taste really bad. Overall, I think we can both agree that we see food as sometimes being art.