What is the difference between eating sandwich in Subway and having appetizer in Michelin? You may say “dressing”. It could be the difference between wearing a T-shirt and a suit; or it could be the taste of appreciating “high culture” and “low culture”. Is food art? Does it represent one’s taste of art? Before reading Elizabeth Telfer’s article “Food As Art”, I simply thought food could be art because I saw many creative artworks were made by foods. For example, there is an article called “16 Awesome Food Ideas”. However, after reading Telfer’s arguments about food and art, I think it is hard and vague to define whether or not food is art. Telfer first helps define what an atheistic reaction is. And then she points out there are two categories, which are the classifying sense and the evaluating sense, to illustrate “a work of art”. In the end of the article, Telfer gives her reasons for “food as a minor art”. First, she states that food cannot represent anything as most literature and much visual art does. Second, food cannot express emotion. Finally, she thinks food cannot move us in the way that music and the other major arts can.

In my pint of view, food in general is not art other than we appreciate it in a particular way. Why do I say generalized food is not art? Try to think about the reason why you go to McDonald and Subway. It’s because of the natural desire of food. The assistant is not an artist that creates an artwork called “6-inch buffalo chicken”. He or she just put what you want to eat together. Food and drink have a primary function – serving for people’s stomachs. As Telfer says, “Perhaps those who say that food should not be treated as art because it is useful are really claiming that abstracting from usefulness is particularly difficult in case of eating and drinking” (19). Also, food does not have sustainability as major arts do. It will not exist even a day. However, if we consider food in a particular way, it can be art. That is to say, on the one hand, food can be an inspiration or a material to create new artworks. On the other hand, if people interpret a dish as art by appreciating its design, smell and taste, then it also can be art. The “particular way” is really depends on the creator of the food and the people who taste it. Overall, I don’t think we can give a specific criterion to define food as art.