There is so much craziness going on right now, and I have so much to say about it. I’ve decided to wait until next week and give you a break from all the serious issues we must deal with. This week, I will talk about something that should be of no value but selling for big bucks.
You may remember a few years ago, I wrote an article titled, “If I Can’t See it, is it Still Considered Art?” This “art” was presented by the Museum of Non-Visible Art (MONA). Non-visible art! You just can’t make this stuff up. Not even on one’s most creative day.
To refresh your memory, these creative pieces cannot be seen by the human eye but only by one’s mind. The website explains:
“The Museum of Non-Visible Art is an extravaganza of imagination, a museum that reminds us that we live in two worlds: the physical world of sight and the non-visible world of thought. Composed entirely of ideas, the Non-Visible Museum redefines the concept of what is real. Although the artworks themselves are not visible, the descriptions open our eyes to a parallel world built of images and words. This world is not visible, but it is real, perhaps more real than the world of matter, and it is also for sale.”
Now, there is a piece of “so-called” art that puts the invisible art to shame. In 2019, an Italian artist, Maurizio Cattelan, created a piece titled “Comedian.” A debate began at the time about the true meaning of art. The piece was … wait for it … a banana duct taped to a wall. Originally, the piece sold for $120,000. If you think that is outrageous, wait until you hear the rest of the story.
The artist has recreated the original work. It was auctioned off by Sotheby’s in New York for a whopping $6.24 million. Imagine that! Bananas can be bought usually for three for $1 at Sheetz convenience store. Duct tape is around $5 per roll at Lowe’s hardware. One can create a lot of masterpieces for very little money.
Prior to the auction, Sotheby’s exhibited the piece around the world. London, Paris, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Milan, Taipei, Seoul and Dubai had an opportunity to witness this breathtaking creation.
Several times while the artwork was being displayed, visitors have eaten the banana. While being displayed in Seoul, Korea, an art student ate the banana and taped the peel back to the wall. When asked why he did it, he said he was hungry. Good reason. No mention if the now updated “peel art” will be up for auction.
At one exhibit, a performance artist jerked the banana from the wall and began peeling and eating it in front of hundreds of visitors. He claimed it was not vandalism, but that it was an artistic performance. He makes a good point.
The buyer of this work is a Chinese collector, Justin Sun, who founded a cryptocurrency firm. He will receive a banana and a roll of duct tape, along with a certificate of authenticity. He will also receive detailed instructions on how to install the work. Very complicated stuff.
The buyer also issued a press release and said, “This is not just an artwork.” (He sure got that right.) “It represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community. I believe this piece will inspire more thought and discussion in the future and will become a part of history.”
He went on to say, “Additionally, in the coming days, I will personally eat the banana as part of this unique artistic experience, honoring its place in both art history and popular culture.”
As someone who has not an ounce of artistic talent, I hate to be critical of artists. But even I could create this type of foolishness.
Usually when such nonsense is created, there’s a grant involved with funding from the government. Thankfully, I can find no such evidence that taxpayer funding is involved.
In the past, I was convinced that these artists creating this “stuff” were incapable of providing true art that was of value to their fellow man. Therefore, taxpayers had to be forced to subsidize. Apparently, the times have changed, and now there are buyers/collectors who will buy anything.
As long as taxpayers aren’t paying for it, create whatever you want.
Now we can all be artists. There’s a sucker born every minute, as P.T. Barnum said.
Joyce Krawiec represented Forsyth County and the 31st District in the North Carolina Senate from 2014 to 2024. She lives in Kernersville.
