Objectives
- Explore the notion of food as an artform
- Consider cultural differences in the production and consumption food.
Original Post
“Do not play with your food” is an admonishment we have heard from many generations. But base on what we read last week, Dissanayake says, art is something that is natural, such as “language, sex, sociability, aggression, or any of the other characteristics of human nature” (Dissanayake p.4). Art is a form of communication that is embedded into every human being on this planet, and just like all the other forms of communication, it varies greatly from one to another. Food is also a form of art that can communicate within the culture. From preparation, to the final food presentation on the table, it is an artistic process that involves different opinions from different people of various cultures. Food is an essential to everyday human life, therefore, it can be a way to express oneself’s uniqueness depending on one’s likes and dislikes about food. People communicate to each other about good and bad food, and express difference of opinions about it.
When you first go to a restaurant and want to order something to eat, what will you order? In this sense, people will pay great attention to the aesthetics of the food displayed on the menu. That’s why people spend so much money on enhancing pictures as well as doing advertisements of food. When a dish arrivals on the table, the chef will want to make sure that is looks amazing. This is almost like an artist displaying a sculpture or a painting to the audience. Food is art which is made by the chefs and chefs want other people to look at it. Just like what Telfer says ” if something is a work of art, then its maker or exhibitor intended it to be looked at or listened to with intensity, for its own sake”(Telfer P.12).
Reflection
These pictures shows that food can be known as art, chefs use the food to express their feeling and made the food as art.
Before this assignment, I do not believe food is art. In my opinion food is something you have to eat otherwise you will be hungry. However, after reading the assignment I knew that food is a kind of art. This assignment helps me figure out why food is art. The process of making food is an approach to communicate chef’s emotion to the customer. Just like Telfer said “if something is a work of art, then its maker or exhibitor intended it to be looked at or listened to with intensity, for its own sake” P12.
Art is a form that people can communicate with others. So is food. In my article, the chefs want to use the food they made to communicate with their customer. Chefs use the food to express their feeling and they hope their customer will also enjoy the food.
Future
In the future I want to go to different places and eat different kind of food. Also when I am eating the food I want to know the meaning that the chefs want to express and what the chefs feel when they are making the food.