This Art is Bananas!

    A banana in a bowl of cornflakes is breakfast. 

    A banana with ice cream and chocolate sauce is dessert. 

    A banana taped to a wall is . . . a very expensive work of art?

    That’s right. In December 2019, thousands of art lovers showed up at a famous art show in Miami. There were beautiful paintings on display. There were sculptures in bronze and wood and clay. But the most popular work was a banana stuck to the wall with a few inches of duct tape. One version of it sold for $150,000!

    A banana in a bowl of cornflakes is breakfast.

    A banana with ice cream and chocolate sauce is dessert.

    A banana taped to a wall is . . . an expensive work of art?

    That’s right. In 2019, a famous art show took place in Miami. There were beautiful paintings. There were sculptures in bronze and wood and clay. But the most popular work was a banana stuck to the wall with duct tape. One version of it sold for $150,000!

    A banana in a bowl of cornflakes is breakfast. 

    A banana with ice cream and chocolate sauce is dessert.

    A banana taped to a wall is . . . a very valuable work of art?

    That’s right. In December 2019, thousands of art lovers attended a famous art show in Miami. There were beautiful paintings on display, as well as sculptures in bronze and wood and clay. But the most popular item was a banana stuck to the wall with a few inches of duct tape. One version of it sold for $150,000!

    The banana went viral—and many people were not happy. “Something’s rotten in the art world,” wrote the New York Post. Many people wondered, how can you call a banana art? Artists are supposed to have special talents. They spend years training to be painters or sculptors. Any 6-year-old kid can tape a banana to a wall.

    But the banana wasn’t a child’s game. It was part of a more than 100-year-old tradition called conceptual art. Conceptual art is not supposed to be beautiful. It doesn’t have to last a long time. And it doesn’t rely on an artist’s skill. Conceptual art is art that is mostly about a concept, or idea. 

    The banana went viral. Many people were not happy. “Something’s rotten in the art world,” wrote the New York Post. People wondered, how can you call a banana art? Artists are supposed to have special talents. They spend years training to make art. Any 6-year-old kid can tape a banana to a wall.

    But the banana wasn’t a child’s game. It was part of a tradition called conceptual art. Conceptual art is not supposed to be beautiful. It doesn’t have to last a long time. And it doesn’t rely on an artist’s skill. Conceptual art is art that is mostly about a concept, or idea.

    The banana went viral—and the response from the public was far from positive. “Something’s rotten in the art world,” wrote the New York Post. Many people wondered, how can you call a banana art? Artists are supposed to be highly talented people who spend years developing their painting or sculpting skills. Any 6-year-old kid can tape a banana to a wall.

    However, the banana wasn’t a children’s game. Instead, it was part of a more than 100-year-old tradition called conceptual art. Conceptual art isn’t expected to be beautiful or long-lasting, and it doesn’t rely on an artist’s skill. Conceptual art is art that is mostly about a concept, or idea.

    So what was the idea behind the banana? Some people said it was a creative joke. (Its title was Comedian.) They believed it was meant to make fun of art lovers who will spend a small fortune on a rotting piece of fruit.

    Still others claimed it did exactly what art is supposed to do. It made people think. Most people don’t pay attention to art at all. At least the banana got people talking and debating. It got them asking the question, what is art?

    You may be asking a more basic question: What happens when the banana rots?

    Luckily, it came with instructions. The artist, Maurizio Cattelan, says you can replace the banana every 7 to 10 days. 

    That way your $150,000 masterpiece won’t start leaking onto your floor.

    So what was the idea behind the banana? Some people said it was a joke. (Its title was Comedian.) They said it was meant to make fun of art lovers who will spend big money on a rotting piece of fruit.

    Others said it did just what art should do. It made people think. Most people don’t think about art. The banana got people talking. It got them asking the question, what is art?

    You may be asking a more basic question: What happens when the banana rots?

    Luckily, it came with instructions. The artist, Maurizio Cattelan, says you can replace the banana every 7 to 10 days.

    That way your $150,000 masterpiece won’t leak onto your floor.

    So what was the idea behind the banana? Some people said the piece, called Comedian, was a creative joke intended to poke fun at art lovers who will spend a small fortune on a rotting piece of fruit.

    Others claimed it did exactly what art is supposed to do: make people think. Most people don’t pay attention to art at all, but the banana got people talking and debating. It inspired them to consider the question, what is art?

    You may be wondering about a more basic question: What happens when the banana rots?

    Fortunately, it came with instructions. The artist, Maurizio Cattelan, says you can replace the banana every 7 to 10 days.

    That way your $150,000 masterpiece won’t start leaking onto your floor.