It has been called conceptual artwork, a “cultural phenomenon,” “ephemeral art,” “humorous minimalist artwork.”
It has been extolled, ridiculed, made the butt of innumerable jokes and imitations, some quite rude.
It has been called ludicrous but it has also been sold at some ludicrous prices.
It has even been eaten at times.
Of course, we are talking about the famously controversial “Comedian” by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan: a fresh banana duct-taped onto a wall, below.
Cattelan’s artwork first appeared at the 2019 Art Basel fair in Miami Beach, where Perrotin Gallery sold three editions for a total of $390,000. One of the editions was donated to the Guggenheim Museum, but not before a “performance artist,” David Datuna, ripped the banana off the wall and ate it in plain sight.
No big deal. The gallery promptly bought a fresh banana and duct-taped it to the wall.
The reader may wonder, “How can that be?”
The answer is simple. When sold, “Comedian” consists of a “certificate of authenticity” from the artist and a detailed list of “installation instructions” on how the banana should be affixed to a wall and displayed.
Banana and duct tape are not included.
It is up to the new, proud owners to buy the duct tape and, most importantly, to buy a fresh banana to replace the duct-taped one every seven to 10 days or when hunger pangs get the better of the owner, whichever comes first.
I do not know if the instructions specify whether the replacement banana should be a ”Chiquita,” “Dole,” or “Del Monte” banana. However, an Ecuadorean banana would make a great ephemeral work of art.
Fast forward to last week when “Comedian” was sold for $6.2 million, including auction house fees, at a Sotheby’s contemporary art auction.
Not bad for a banana that, according to the New York Times, was bought earlier in the day of the auction by Sotheby “from a nearby fruit stand on the Upper East Side of Manhattan for 35 cents.”
The buyer, a Chinese-born crypto entrepreneur, promised that “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.”
Shortly after its inaugural appearance at the Art Basil fair in 2019, social media was inundated with “Comedian” memes representing just about anything that could be duct-taped to a wall: cucumbers, tamales, sandals, beer cans, ducks, dogs, cats, even kids.
After the most recent auction of “Comedian,” there has been a renewed interest in all things duct-taped. Anxious not to be left behind, I composed my own conceptual interpretation of duct tape art.
And what could be more original and thought-provoking than “Duct-taped Duct Tape.”
I am offering “Duct-taped Duct Tape” (duct tape not included) not for $6.2 M, not for $620, not even for $62, but for a mere $6.20.
Best of all, those interested in this unique piece of avant-garde art can make it theirs by making a $6.20 (or preferably a little larger) donation to The Moderate Voice (TMV).
The Moderate Voice has been your blog for more than 20 years and needs your help to continue to publish in an environment that has become very difficult for blogs.
Its publisher, Joe Gandelman, writes:
You can donate through the Go Fund Me icon on the right side of TMV’s home page. Or contact Joe Gandelman if you prefer to use Venmo. Contact me if you need an address if you want to send a check.
And remember, as in all new, great works of conceptual, ephemeral duct tape art, you furnish the duct tape.
This post is your “certificate of authenticity.”
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CODA: The author has not seen this version of duct tape “art” published. If it does exist, it has not been my intent to plagiarize such in this satirical piece.
