Brewers as artists

To me it's akin to the difference between a fine artist and a graphic designer. There are some graphic designers out there that can create some truly incredible, even moving, stuff but the line between the two is the practicality. A concept I studied in college was the idea of the functionality of art. Fine art has very little material function; the purposes it serves are to beautify or to challenge or hold a mirror to society, as it were. Graphic design works towards the intersection of beauty and functionality. You have to know your color wheel and ratios and use different techniques, but in the end, you've made a promotional poster or a kick-ass website - it's something that exists in a realm other than expression, critique or decoration, because it is meant to be used.

Beer is much the same. It is a consumable good. We want out products, ads and UIs to be pretty and intuitive and we want our beer to be flavorful and well-built. It can be a wonderful experience, even one that is evocative and tells a story, but to me, that doesn't make it art. It is simply doing something very well.

 

It certainly takes skill and talent to make great beer. Imagination and creativity play a role as well, but I don't consider brewers artists.

 

Isn't a graphic designer a marketer out of necessity of the work? The intention behind the creation then may be more about the marketing than pure artistic expression.

I realize the brewer may also have his hands in the marketing and has a need to produce beers that sell, this makes my counterpoint rather difficult to make. If a brewer can separate himself from this side of the business, or is separated from it, does he not use similar skills and have the same intention of a fine artist?

The beer itself is certainly a consumable good, arguably a commodity, but I do not believe that disqualifies the work from being considered art.

Either way good post, nice argument.

 

Shameless self-promotion alert: When I was doing some research for my forthcoming book, I spoke with Damien Malfara (owner-brewmaster of Old Forge Brewing in Danville, PA). We actually talked about this exact subject so I thought I'd share his response when I asked if sometimes he wished that he could brew the way artists paint and just say "this is my beer... like it, or don't. whatever."

"What I like isn’t always what the consumers like. I will say that almost all the beers that I make I do like them, but it’s more like at the pub when we do our one-off beers. Any of the barrel-aged beers or anything unique and different, I do feel like yeah, it’s art. This is what I made whether you like it or not. It is what it is. I also hope the customer trusts me that I wouldn’t serve it if I didn’t think it was servable."

I think the big difference between artists and brewers is that most brewers choose to craft a product intended for consumption. It's more consumer-oriented than most art. I think this is why the term artisan is far more appropriate than artist for brewers.

 

We're like masseurs for your palate, rather than artists. Ya, we can go to school for it and get good, but what we're really looking for is that "oh god yes" reaction from a customer when we hit that "sweet spot." Our profession involves fewer happy endings, though, unfortunately.

 

If we work with a fairly common definition of art (Webster):

"the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects; also :works so produced"

That would require us to deny that

a) you are skilled as a brewer
b) you have creative imagination as a brewer,
c) your beers provide aesthetic gratification.

Now having had a few of your beers I'd say that all three apply but I have only direct evidence of point c.

So on which of the three points (a, b, or c or some combination) do you think you and your beers are lacking?

Cheers!

 

I've been to plenty of art museums, but never saw a beer displayed as art.

 

Very eloquent distinction. Great design is taking a purpose & both meeting & elevating that purpose. It's making a beer that might be spot-on according to style but also has that "je ne sais quois" that makes it really shine.

 

I guess you've never seen Jasper Johns' bronze, "Painted Bronze (Ale Cans) "...



Given its status as "art", Pabst should be sued for plagiarism for the beer they now market with the same label.

 

Maybe homebrewers are the only brewers than can be considered artists, then?

 

Beer cans aren't beer.

 

... and thus the little "" in my post ....

 

How would one display beer? Is the ability to display the creation a prerequisite to be considered art? It seems like there are several mediums that aren't often on display museums.

 

They wouldn't display beer because brewers aren't artists. True story.

 

I guess it's just natural as a beer enthusiast to relate beer to friggin everything... We love beer, we love to talk about it, we love to drink it, we're crazy about anything and everything beer related.
Leave your other hobbies/interests out of it for the sake of not being so pretentious. Call it beer, call it art, call it craft, but no matter what, that beer ain't gonna tell you a story unless you're already drunk.

 

Thanks. Graphic designers don't really think of themselves as marketers. As one who has his hands in both fields, I'll concede that much of design is meant to serve some sort of marketing end, but it's not the whole story. Things like book covers and photo retouching aren't necessarily marketing, but still serve a commercial purpose.

And no, brewers aren't necessarily concerned with the marketing/commercial aspect of their beers (especially homebrewers), but it doesn't change the functional (nutritional?) aspect of beer. One could make the argument that art is consumed, such as in a museum, but one's viewing of a piece doesn't deplete the supply. Neither Rothko nor Da Vinci are limited to a certain number of viewings, whereas many beers, once they've been drank, they're gone. But that will only get me started on art and the concept of temporality...and art can certainly be temporary, but it's often a condition of the piece - part of the intent. Holy shit. Sorry, forgot I wasn't one ArtAdvocate...

 

If you added sniff and touch to consume, stare and cogitate you'd have a beer review.

 

I love how creative you can get with beer and I think that is just one of the aspects that really attracts me to home brewing. The world of beer is wonderful and adventorous. i've made many friends over the years because of craft beer and it has taught me a lot. Craft brewing could be considered an art form.