Where function meets fashion

What is art, really? Is it paint and oils laid on a canvas? Notes written on a page? The motion of dance or the lines of a sculpture?

To this I must say no, for art is something both far more immeasurable and meaningful than any of these things.

The reason for this query is that there is a fairly noticeable split between those that believe food, the presentation and sensory interaction, is art, and those that do not.

If you haven't guessed by now, I am of the mind that it is. Or rather, that it can be.

As to my reasoning I ask again, what is art? Can an idea so abstract in nature be captured by a simple definition of medium? I feel confident enough to say that such a claim is silliness. Art is the act of creation. It is giving form to emotion, thought, and idea. I have to say that I find it extremely difficult to describe something that by nature goes beyond the ability of mere words.

Now, as I said I don't believe that all food is art, but rather that food can be art. Just as not every brushstroke or strike of the chisel will be part of the world's next great masterpiece, not every meal deserves to be logged into the annals of history. Some, however, can be truely noteworthy. I would not say that such status is dependent on the type of cuisine, level of dining, or other related factors. To me, all that matters is the culinary experience. The fact is that you can tell when the proverbial blood, sweat, and tears have been put into a dish. When something is loved from its very conception, when the first flavors are matched, the perfect presentation imagined, all aspects joining together to form culinary bliss... you will know. Trust me when I say this.

Perhaps the strongest point that I can make is the fact that food has transcended its simple function of sustenance and survival. Sure you can survive off of blue box and ramen (although I don't know why you would want to), but to really enter the realm of artful food you must go beyond this. Excite the senses, bring back memories, submerse yourself in the entirety of the experience. To go beyond, you must create. You must feel. You must love.

These things may not describe what art is, but they at least will give someone an idea of what art is about.