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A Banana Taped To A Wall Sold For ₹85 Lakh & Twitter Users Are Recreating The ‘Masterpiece’

byStorypickers
6th December 2019
2 minute read

Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. But very often we scratch our heads while looking at exquisite pieces of art. While people appreciate artists, they don’t always understand the deeper meaning behind their unique creations.

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However, several people are confused about this new piece of art involving a banana. A banana, duct-taped to a wall went on a sale at Art Basel Miami Beach. The installation by noted Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, titled ‘Comedian’, was priced at $1,20,000 (Rs 85 lakh approximately), reports NDTV.  Presented by Perrotin, a contemporary art gallery founded in Paris, the ‘Comedian’ comes in editions of three, out of which two have already been sold.

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🍌 Maurizio Cattelan's new sculpture 'Comedian' at Art Basel Miami marks the artist's first major debut at an art fair in over 15 years! Comprised of a real banana affixed to the wall with a piece of duct tape, this new work is no different than Cattelan's hyper-realistic sculptures lampooning popular culture and offer a wry commentary on society, power, and authority. In the same vein as Cattelan's America (2016), this piece offers insight into how we assign worth and what kind of objects we value. The idea of this work came to the artist’s mind a year ago. Back then, Cattelan was thinking of a sculpture that was shaped like a banana. Every time he traveled, he brought a banana with him and hung it in his hotel room to find inspiration. He made several models: first in resin, then in bronze and in painted bronze for finally coming back to the initial idea of a real banana. Discover it on our booth D24! — Art Basel Miami Beach 📍 Perrotin Booth D24 📆 December 5 – 8, 2019 — #MaurizioCattelan #ArtBaselMiami #ArtBaselMiamiBeach #ArtBasel #Perrotin — Courtesy Maurizio Cattelan.

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The artwork was Cattelan’s first contribution to an art fair in 15 years and comprised of a banana bought in a Miami grocery store and a single piece of duct tape. It also came along with a certificate of authenticity.

Before the reported sale, the owner of Perrotin Gallery, Emmanuel Perrotin told CNN that the bananas are “a symbol of global trade, a double entendre, as well as a classic device for humor.”

Cattelan, whose previous artwork was an 18-carat-gold toilet, was thinking of a sculpture that was shaped like a banana and carried the fruit every time he traveled to hang in his hotel room for inspiration. He also made several sculptures of bananas – first in resin, then bronze and then painted bronze – before deciding to use real bananas.

The banana artwork which was sold for a whopping amount has received some hilarious reactions online. Have a look:

https://twitter.com/GuyWithBeer/status/1202799506514993152?s=20

Some people have also tried to recreate this ‘Masterpiece’ and are willing to sell it at a cheaper price:

Not sure if we fully understand the value of this piece of art. However, we were inspired by an 80-year-old tribal woman’s artwork and also the sunlight paintings from an artist in Los Angeles. The painter from Alathur, Kerala has some exceptional pieces too. Did you get this point of this ‘Banana artwork’? Do let us know in the comments below.

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