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From prehistoric cave paintings of beef on the hoof to Renaissance canvases depicting the Last Supper to Andy Warhol's picture of a Campbell's soup can, food has inspired art. But the most striking images in ''Art and Appetite,'' a small, thought-provoking exhibition of prints and photographs at the Davison Art Center, on the campus of Wesleyan University in Middletown, are less about food than they are about its absence. Not to worry -- you won't go home feeling guilty about your Thanksgiving meal. The curator, Clare Rogan, offers several examples of what you might call the joy of looking at cooking. Roy Lichtenstein's ''Sandwich and Soda,'' printed in red, white and blue (on plastic instead of paper), revels in the crisp triangles of bread and the spherical bubbles in a soft drink; Donald Sultan's richly colored screen prints of peppers, cherries and pears are sensuous and inviting. Even Claes Oldenburg's whimsical lithograph ''Flying Pizza,'' with its blast of tomato red and its dancing slices, is about enjoyment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]