Is Rare Art More A-Peeling Than Rare Glass?

Is there something rotten in the art world? It’s probably this overpriced old fruit.

What about the world of glass? Over the years, bottle collectors have ooh’ed and ahh’ed when years ago a rare bottle sold for $10,000. Then $20,000 for an ink, then $50,000, then $100,000. It’s hard to keep up with the up-and-up prices of great glass. It has been muttered by saner minds that some collectors are bananas.

And, last December, that criticism has been proven true, and other art critics are going bananas. A banana duct-taped to a wall sold for $120,000 at a Miami art gallery, and I’m hungry to make sense of all this.

The fruit and tape in question was the work of Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, and it literally is just a real banana ducttaped to a wall, titled “The Comedian.” No joke. There are reports of three “editions” of the “work of art,” two of which have been sold. The third banana was expected to go for $150,000!

On the one hand, the $120,000 banana duct-taped to a wall is good. People always like to dismiss modern art as simplistic, often remarking, “I could make that.” The go-to comeback to this statement is, “Yeah, but you didn’t.” Hate all you want, but you didn’t just make a couple hundred grand by attaching maybe a dollar’s worth of produce to the wall with pieces of tape. But Maurizio Cattelan did.

And, as a piece of art, “The Comedian” actually does have something to say. Emmanuel Perrotin, whose gallery displayed the art — “Bananas, aisle three” — said the piece is about how the meaning and importance of objects changes depending on the context. (Huh?) “The spectacle is as much a part of the work as the banana.” Cattelan is famous for another one of his works, an 18-karat gold toilet titled “America” valued at $6 million that was recently stolen from England’s Blenheim Palace. Now, $6 million for a gold toilet? As a collector of antique toilet paper I was tempted, but the auction house refused my credit card.

Here’s the central rub with the banana duct-taped to a wall. It is both a funny critique of the absurdities of art and capitalism, yet it is inherently part of that problem, too. While I was at the Detroit News many years ago, I was friendly with the paper’s art critic. Once, visiting her home, I noted a square of blue fuzz framed and hung from her wall. It had been given to her by a local Detroit artist, and its title? “Clothes drier lint.”

So, is the banana duct-taped to a wall good or bad? I don’t know. It’s higher in potassium than most art, so let’s just say, by that measure, it’s good.

This banana with duct tape sold for $120,000. Art? It makes rare glass, sans duct tape, look like a bargain.

Edited by Ralph Finch

The next time you hesitate spending a thousand clams — I mean, dollars — for a rare bitters, picture it with a piece of duct tape on it and it could be a bargain.

The Miami couple who purchased the much-talked-about piece of art consisting of a banana duct-taped to a wall for $120,000 acknowledged the absurdity of the artwork and said they plan to gift it to a museum.

Billy and Beatrice Cox said they believe the artwork, titled “The Comedian,” will become “iconic.” They spent the money after seeing “the public debate it sparked about art and our society.” The Coxes compared the banana artwork to Andy Warhol's iconic “Campbell's Soup Cans.”

“We are acutely aware of the blatant absurdity of the fact that “The Comedian” is an otherwise inexpensive and perishable piece of produce and a couple [of] inches of duct tape,” the Coxes said. “Ultimately, we sense that [artist Maurizio] Cattelan’s banana will become an iconic historical object. Yes, the banana itself will need to be replaced,” they acknowledged.

The expensive piece of produce was the talk of the Art Basel Miami festival last week, with critics lambasting the conceptual artwork by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan as evidence of wealth inequality. Three editions were sold ranging from $120,000 to $150,000.

Some reasoned they could easily recreate Cattelan's work with a trip to the grocery and hardware stores. Parodies even sprung up online, such as the framed bagel with a piece of duct tape over it by Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest.

On Saturday, performance artist David Datuna removed the lastest edition of the banana from the wall and proceeded to unpeel and eat it, much to the public's shock and amazement.

"I respect Maurizio, but it’s art performance: Hungry artist,” he had said. Editor’s note 1: A spokesperson for the Popeye’s firm noted that its chicken sandwich was included as a piece in a recent art festival. Like the infamous banana, the popular sandwich was duct-taped to a canvas. The piece, officially named “The Sandwich,” was listed at $120,003.99 and is being described as “a mixed media work of art consisting of a toasted brioche bun, two pickles, fried chicken, mayo and duct tape over a canvas.” What’s next? Can you duct tape spaghetti to a wall?

Editor’s note 2: It has been long suggested — but long debated — that Groucho Marx authored this bit of wisdom: “Time flies like an arrow and fruit flies like a banana.” Fruit flies and Groucho would appreciate this latest art “scandal.”

TOP: In this photo, gallery owner Emmanuel Perrotin poses next to Italian artist Maurizio Cattlelan's "The Comedian" at the Art Basel exhibition in Miami Beach, Fla. The work sold for $120,000. A Miami couple who bought a headline-grabbing banana duct-taped to a wall say they acknowledge the absurdity of the artwork, but believe it will become an icon and plan to gift it to a museum. (Siobhan Morrissey via AP) BOTTOM: This new glass banana is easily found on the internet for around $12. With duct tape, it may go higher or it may be cheaper by the bunch.