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While I’m not in this group since I have a hard time detaching from work, I think Anthony Bourdain summed this up well. “I'll generally take a standup mercenar

While I’m not in this group since I have a hard time detaching from work, I think Anthony Bourdain summed this up well. “I'll generally take a standup mercenary who takes pride in his professionalism over an artist any day. When I hear 'artist', I think of someone who doesn't think it necessary to show up at work on time. More often than not their efforts, convinced as they are of their own genius, are geared more to giving themselves a hard-on than satisfying the great majority of dinner customers. Personally, I'd prefer to eat food that tastes good and is an honest reflection of its ingredients, than a 3-foot-tall caprice constructed from lemon grass, lawn trimmings, coconuts and red curry.”

idiocratic 3y ago
Great quote. It applies to pretty much any profession that isn't pure art. Knowing how it works in medical and research fields, it would be a great analogy for that too.
mock-possum 3y ago
good luck developing new dishes without artists. Maybe you don't want a "a 3-foot-tall caprice constructed from lemon grass, lawn trimmings, coconuts and red curry" but A) that sounds fucking delicious to me and B) in the same way that fashion houses present ideas that are then digested and disseminated into consumer clothing lines, culinary artists also provide an essential service in pushing the art of food forward. that's such an unnecessarily disparaging remark that I kind of don't even know how to take it (or him) seriously.
- snapcaster 3y ago
  I think you focused too much on that part. The overall point (artists are self absorbed and unprofessional) is really hard to argue against to anyone who has spent any time out in the world
  - mwigdahl 3y ago
    And you don't even need to go that far. Bourdain is talking in the context of running a successful restaurant -- serving quality food to customers that they want, on time. The artist can be everything GP said they were and still be inferior to the mercenary in that context.

idiocratic 3y ago

Great quote. It applies to pretty much any profession that isn't pure art. Knowing how it works in medical and research fields, it would be a great analogy for that too.

mock-possum 3y ago

good luck developing new dishes without artists. Maybe you don't want a "a 3-foot-tall caprice constructed from lemon grass, lawn trimmings, coconuts and red curry" but A) that sounds fucking delicious to me and B) in the same way that fashion houses present ideas that are then digested and disseminated into consumer clothing lines, culinary artists also provide an essential service in pushing the art of food forward. that's such an unnecessarily disparaging remark that I kind of don't even know how to take it (or him) seriously.

snapcaster 3y ago
I think you focused too much on that part. The overall point (artists are self absorbed and unprofessional) is really hard to argue against to anyone who has spent any time out in the world
- mwigdahl 3y ago
  And you don't even need to go that far. Bourdain is talking in the context of running a successful restaurant -- serving quality food to customers that they want, on time. The artist can be everything GP said they were and still be inferior to the mercenary in that context.