The Best Lunch! And it makes for a great photo op.

I solely believe that food is art despite the particular model of camera. With the advancement in food technology and techniques, any type of food can become an edible masterpiece. As portrayed in our class, food can be as artistic as Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” such as the “Double Mona Lisa” by Vik Muniz that we discussed which entirely consisted of peanut butter and jelly. As well as his other art works like “Action Photo, After Hans Namuth”, which depicts the recreation of Hans Namuth’s photograph of Jackson Pollock painting in his studio. The portrait was created solely from chocolate syrup.

Pictures that are captured on a cellular device can be considered as art based on one’s perception of artistic value within photography. Sometimes, food-themed pictures taken from cell phones are only for entertainment purposes. In this modern day society of social media, sharing interesting personal thoughts and intimate moments through havens such as Instagram, can show their food encounters in a more universal setting. But food pictures can possess certain qualities that express issues in an abstract, artistic way. “Frozen Foods with String Beans” by Irving Penn displays the complex truth about the nutritional values of frozen foods based on shapes, sizes and, ultimately, coloring through his portraits. There are many categories in the practice of photography and all can be evoke different levels of art. Irving Penn once said,

“A good photograph is one that communicates a fact, touches the heart, and leaves

 the viewer a changed person for having seen it; it is in one word, effective.”

 (Behnke, “The Sunday Magazine: Irving Penn”, 2014)

When it came to food, he responded with this simplistic quote that explains all food themed pictures, “Photographing a cake can be art”. (BBC News, “American photographer Penn dies”, 2009)

Works Cited:

Behnke, M. (2014, July 13). The Sunday Magazine: Irving Penn. Retrieved September 11, 2014, from http://colognoisseur.com/tag/irving-penn/

American photographer Penn dies. (2009, October 7). Retrieved September 11, 2014, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8296030.stm