I found “Kitchen’s Closed” to be a really interesting chapter to read given the context of this class. At first, I really struggled to understand why this reading was assigned. I love Kitchen Confidential and I think its an amazing read, but I was confused as to how it has anything to do with art. However, after separating the chapter from its original context, food, I realized that the this piece is really about identity. The long description of the marks on Bourdain’s hand are used to illustrate Bourdain’s identity as a chef. When describing a specific callous on his hand, Bourdain writes, “I’m proud of this one. It distinguishes me immediately as a cook, as someone who’s been on the job for a long time. You can feel it when you shake my hand, just as I feel it on others of my profession, Its a secret sign…” (Bourdain, 296). This idea of “signs” relates directly to graffiti. Graffiti, and all art for that matter, is composed of a group of signs signifying meaning. These signs serve as a form of self expression. This self expression constructs identity. Thus, just like how Bourdain describes the scars on his hand as a sign that he is a chef, graffiti artists use tags as a way to sculpt their identity on the street.
I also really liked the Debuffet essay, “Anticultural Positions.” His argument for outsider art is extremely compelling. The contrasts he poses between Western man and the “primitive” are very interesting. On the surface, all the reasons seem to be rather different. However, they all connect though Debuffet’s claim that culture has ruined art. While he believes reason is also a deterrent for the creation of good art, ultimately culture ruins the authenticity of all art.
***thoughts from after class
I thought “Ugly Delicious” was a very interesting documentary to bring to the class. I think it fit really well with the Bourdain article, but also our discussion of appropriation. It showed the contrast between tradition and innovation and illustrated a positive example of cultural appropriation. In this episode, chef’s appropriated from other cultures in order to create something new, while also paying homage to the culture that they were inspired by. This episode shows the inclusive nature of appropriation and positives outcomes of a contact zone.