The Art of Food: Part 2

My second question regarding Telfer's essay on the art of food was whether or not food has to be expensive to be considered art, or to even give an aesthetic reaction. I wondered if cheap, unhealthy food, such as pizza, would even be considered. After our class discussions, I have concluded that food like pizza, or fast food, would not, in most cases, be considered art. The reason for this is because cheap, unhealthy food is almost always being created with the predominant intention of it being eaten, not appreciated as an art form. The other predominant intention this type of food is usually being created with is to make money. I do, however, think that there can be exceptions. If something is made out of cheap food, but is predominantly intended to be viewed aesthetically, then it would be considered art, although a minor form. For example, someone could make a sculpture out of cheap food to make a statement about the eating habits of Americans. For example, the pictures below show two sculptures by artist Christopher Chiappa. Both sculptures are made entirely of fast food. Both sculptures are edible, but it is clear that the predominant intention of the artist was for the sculptures to be viewed aesthetically, not eaten. Therefore, I would consider these sculptures as minor forms of art.

Sculptures made entirely of fast food by artist Christopher Chiappa.