What tastes good? What tastes bad? Why? The answers to these questions are of intense personal interest to chefs, scientists, and the parents of picky eaters. It inevitably leads to this question: Where does flavor reside—in the food we eat or in the subjective multi-sensory experience of eating? And what is the evolutionary value of taste? To prevent us from eating something harmful or to encourage us to eat high-value food?
Our scientific understanding of taste has lagged behind what we know about our other senses, but that is beginning to change. To see how scientists are exploring taste and how chefs are exploring science, photographer Brian Finke traveled to 10 locations from New Zealand to Denmark, visiting research labs and test kitchens searching for a deeper scientific understanding of yumminess. “The Science of Taste” appeared in the December 2015 issue of National Geographic magazine.
Artist Bios
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Brian Finke
Raised in Texas and schooled in New York, Brian Finke defined himself as a documentary photographer at the World Press Photo Masterclass in 2001 and was awarded a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship for Photography in 2004. The author of 2-4-6-8: American Cheerleaders and Football Players, Flight Attendants, and U.S. Marshalls, Finke has exhibited his work in New York City, Los Angeles, Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, Chicago, and Houston, among others.
Finke takes a documentary approach, often spending years following his subjects, immersing himself in their lives in order to capture carefully framed yet candid moments that comment upon contemporary culture. He aims to “create images that heighten the everyday, to create a reality that is larger than life.”
Finke lives in Brooklyn with his sons, Oli and Izi.
Organizations
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National Geographic
Representing one of the largest brands on social media with over 801 million followers and a billion impressions each month, National Geographic Content’s award-winning and critically acclaimed storytelling inspires fans of all ages to connect with, explore, and care about the world through factual storytelling. National Geographic Content, part of a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the National Geographic Society, reaches up to 402 million households in at least 170 countries and 30 languages across the global National Geographic channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO), National Geographic Documentary Films, and streaming services Disney+ and Hulu, in addition to being a global digital, social, and print publisher. Its diverse content includes Oscar- and BAFTA Award-winning film Free Solo; Oscar-nominated films Sugarcane, Fire of Love, Bobi Wine: The People’s President, and The Cave; Emmy Award-winning franchises Race Against Time and Secrets of; Emmy Award-winning series Animals Up Close and Trafficked With Mariana van Zeller; and Emmy-nominated series A Real Bug’s Life and Tucci in Italy, in addition to multiple National Magazine Awards, Pulitzer Prize finalists, and Webby wins. Visit nationalgeographic.com and natgeotv.com or explore Instagram, Threads, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, and Reddit.
Science of Taste
Featuring: Brian Finke
Curated by: Todd James
Locations
View Location Details Download a detailed map of this location Brooklyn Bridge Park – Emily Warren Roebling Plaza1 Water St
Brooklyn, NY 11201
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