A GLANCE AT THE AESTHETICS OF GASTRONOMY, WITH REFERENCE TO THE CONCEPTS OF IMAGE AND PHOTOGRAPH

Samuray Hakan BULUT¹

This study aims to delve into the differences between the presentation of dishes with an artistic outlook, and the presentation of the food as is, with specific reference to the images of the picturesque work by the sophisticated artist Jean Michel Basquiat, whose work often involve elements of gastronomy. The means to achieve this goal is the analysis based on the concepts of image and photograph. A researcher investigating the artistic character of food, and making frequent references to food as a biological necessity as denoted by the concept of nutrition, and hence underlining the need to consume food and beverages in short time frames, can often reach to the conclusion that such passing products cannot easily be categorized as art. Yet, the question ‘can food be considered art?’ pops its head given the effect of food being comparable to that of words and images, not to mention the prevalent use of modern art in the context of presentation in gastronomy (Myhrvold, 2011). The present study will follow the tracks of Myhrvold, and will analyze the production, processing, cooking and presentation stages, which are essential elements of gastronomy as a discipline, with an aesthetic perspective, and with reference to the concepts of image and photograph.

Keywords
Gastronomy, Image, Photograph, Aesthetics, Presentation,