Finding the intersection of art and food in St. Louis
Image courtesy of Bulrush.
Published March 2, 2023
Three of my favorite restaurants in St. Louis stand out in my mind because of their incredibly talented chefs who I consider artists.
I searched for articles on food and art and found a great one by Elena Martinique, editor of Widewalls, an international art and architecture magazine based in London.
“As a cornerstone of our very existence food has always played a significant part in our social and cultural lifestyles,” she writes. “Thus, it is no wonder that the depiction of food in art spans across cultures and all recorded human history.”
Appearing in myriad contexts, this practice stretches back to Ancient Greece and Rome where banquets and bacchanals were consuming passions celebrated in literature, paintings and mosaics. Drawings of food could also be found inside Egyptian pyramids.”
Rob Connoley of Bulrush describes the food at his downtown restaurant as rooted in Ozark cuisine. He explains the concept: “Through our research of family journals and letters from the early 1800s we have uncovered over 200 years of history. History that includes the bold families of indigenous people, enslaved residents and Euro-Appalachian immigrants that tamed the wild lands of northern Arkansas and southern Missouri (and tips of Oklahoma and Kansas). These are the people who defined what has become known as Ozark cuisine.”
When I met with Connoley, I ask him to tell me how creating his food is an art.
“When I create new dishes, I can’t help but think about flavor and aesthetics simultaneously,” he said. “I don’t do this because we live in an Instagram world where pretty food equals social media likes, but rather I know that beauty touches the soul as much, if not more than a delicious spoonful.
“And with food a chef should be thinking in 3D about color, texture and light. These aspects should be included to lift up a dish, not merely for a pretty picture, and so you’ll never find a random flower on our plates. All beauty must pull double duty in flavor and texture. Regardless of how fancy the meal, I love being able to express myself in a way that can be enjoyed by the masses that often don’t find themselves in galleries or museums. It’s truly an honor and a thrill to create beautiful food every night.”
An article in the London-based lifestyle online magazine, The Upcoming, says that restaurants have been galleries for decades. In the decadent Mad Men era of the 1950s and 60s, New York restaurants began buying and commissioning paintings to hang on the walls for the visual enjoyment of admiring diners. This trend has continued to the present day. Michael Roux told The Independent that the art hung in his Michelin star French restaurant, Le Gavroche, asks questions and “feeds your mind while we feed your body.”
Chef Bernie Lee of Akar in Clayton maintains that food is art on numerous levels.
“Growing, cooking and the presentation of food all qualify as art in my eyes,” he said. “It is also connected to love, a sense of well-being and creates an intimate connection between souls. I still think of my mom and grandmother as I take a bite of curry, it brings me a source of connection and comfort.”
And then there is David Kirkland of Turn Restaurant in Grand Center who says,” I am a DJ and a chef. Art, music, sound and touch are part of my everyday life. When creating a menu item, I think about what vegetables are in season, what styles and herbs are trending in the culinary world. I set up my mise en plate, pots, pans, knives, cutting boards all ready to cook.
“I take a bit of this, chop a little of that, simmer it all, stirring, boiling, creating a dish to satisfy hungry mouths.
“Using ears to listen for timers and boiling pots, using my eyes to ensure everything is cooking properly and my hands to touch, stir and feel. A natural muscle memory.
“While DJ’ing I use the same muscle memory in a similar way. While selecting vinyl LP’s or digital tracks, I organize different styles of music to curate a set list. A mise en place of beats and sounds. With two turn tables and a mixer, I will select tracks that blend and complement each other to create one sound that will make you dance and nod your head. Using my hands to cue, scratch and mix music. Again a natural muscle memory.”
Yes, I think these chefs are artists of the highest ranking and that the culinary arts should be included in the art world.
