''Comedian'' is a 2019 artwork by Italian artist
Maurizio Cattelan
Maurizio Cattelan (born 21 September 1960) is an Italian artist. Known primarily for his hyperrealistic sculptures and installations, Cattelan's practice also includes curating and publishing. His satirical approach to art has resulted in him bei ...
. Created in an edition of three, it appears as a fresh
banana
A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", distinguis ...
affixed to a wall with
duct tape
Duct tape (also called duck tape, from the cotton duck cloth it was originally made of) is cloth- or scrim-backed pressure-sensitive tape, often coated with polyethylene. There are a variety of constructions using different backings and adhesi ...
. As a work of
conceptual art
Conceptual art, also referred to as conceptualism, is art in which the concept(s) or idea(s) involved in the work take precedence over traditional aesthetic, technical, and material concerns. Some works of conceptual art, sometimes called insta ...
, it consists of a certificate of authenticity with detailed diagrams and instructions for its proper display. Two editions of the piece sold for US$120,000 at
Art Basel Miami Beach to significant media attention.
Background and description
Maurizio Cattelan
Maurizio Cattelan (born 21 September 1960) is an Italian artist. Known primarily for his hyperrealistic sculptures and installations, Cattelan's practice also includes curating and publishing. His satirical approach to art has resulted in him bei ...
is an Italian artist known for his tongue-in-cheek art, such as his 2016 creation ''
America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
'', a fully functional golden toilet.
He previously used
duct tape
Duct tape (also called duck tape, from the cotton duck cloth it was originally made of) is cloth- or scrim-backed pressure-sensitive tape, often coated with polyethylene. There are a variety of constructions using different backings and adhesi ...
suspension for ''A Perfect Day'' in 1999, fastening the art dealer
Massimo De Carlo to a gallery wall. At the 2019
Foire Internationale d'Art Contemporain
The Paris International Contemporary Art Fair (Foire Internationale d’Art Contemporain or FIAC) is a contemporary art event that occurs in Paris.
It was usually held in October in the Grand Palais. In 2022, Art Basel surprisingly evinced FIA ...
art fair in Paris, the American conceptual interventionist Meth Fountain showed a half-eaten croissant affixed to the wall, predating ''Comedian'' by several months.
''Comedian'' is a piece consisting of a fresh banana duct taped to a wall.
Cattelan purchased the bananas at a Miami grocery store for an estimated 30 cents.
The work includes a
certificate of authenticity
A certificate of authenticity (COA) is a seal or small sticker on a proprietary computer program, t-shirt, jersey, or any other memorabilia or art work, especially in the world of computers and sports. It is commonly a seal on paper authentic ...
along with detailed instructions for its proper display, intended for its owner to use when displaying the work. Both the banana and the duct tape can be replaced as needed; the physical representation of ''Comedian'' is not the work itself.
It was Cattelan's first artwork for a fair in over 15 years.
The piece was compared to
Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...
's 1967 pop art fruit.
Emmanuel Perrotin
Emmanuel Perrotin (born in May 1968 in Montreuil) is the French contemporary art gallery owner of Galerie Perrotin.
Early life and education
Emmanuel Perrotin is the son of Michel Perrotin, a bank employee, and Odile Pradinas, a stay-at-home moth ...
, the gallerist exhibiting the work, stated ''Comedian'' is "a symbol of global trade, a double entendre, as well as a classic device for humor".
Reception
''Comedian'' created controversy, with some writers, such as
Robin Pogrebin
Robin Pogrebin (pron. ro-bin POG-re-bin, born May 17, 1965) has been a reporter for ''The New York Times'' since 1995, where she covers cultural institutions, the art world, architecture, and other subjects.
Biography
Pogrebin was born to a Jew ...
, questioning if it was even art.
''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' called ''Comedian'' a "questionably genius work. ... It calls to mind the old Lucile Bluth ''
Arrested Development
The term "arrested development" has had multiple meanings for over 200 years. In the field of medicine, the term "arrested development" was first used, ''circa'' 1835–1836, to mean a stoppage of physical development; the term continues to be use ...
'' gag about rich people not knowing the price of a banana."
''
Artnet
Artnet.com is an art market website. It is operated by Artnet Worldwide Corporation, which has headquarters in New York City, in the United States, and is owned by Artnet AG, a German publicly traded company based in Berlin that is listed on t ...
'' wrote the piece was one of the worst of the week, and that Cattelan "somehow duped a group of collectors into buying bananas duct-taped to walls for $120,000 a pop. Seriously."
''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' deadpanned, "This piece of art is bananas – literally."
''
Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...
'' called it "humorous minimalist artwork",
while ''
ARTnews
''ARTnews'' is an American visual-arts magazine, based in New York City. It covers art from ancient to contemporary times. ARTnews is the oldest and most widely distributed art magazine in the world. It has a readership of 180,000 in 124 countri ...
'' asked whether the piece was cynical or thrilling.
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of the American television and radio service CBS. CBS News television programs include the ''CBS Evening News'', ''CBS Mornings'', news magazine programs '' CBS News Sunday Morning'', '' 60 Minutes'', and '' 48 H ...
reported, "It may be the most talked-about artwork at this year's event."
On December 13, the ''
New York Post
The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com.
It was established ...
'' featured ''Comedian'' on its cover.
In his 2021 book ''The Devil in the Gallery'',
Noah Charney
Noah Charney (born November 27, 1979) is an American art historian and novelist. He is the author of ''The Art Thief,'' a mystery novel about a series of thefts from European museums and churches, and is the founder of the Association for Res ...
stated, "Comedian is neither beautiful nor does it exhibit skill, so it represents the
Duchampian path."
In his book ''Beauty (and the Banana)'', author Brian C. Nixon stated, "To say the least, ''Comedian'' is a commentary on the wild world of contemporary art, communicating how culture understands, interprets, and engages with the arts."
Purchases
The piece was released in an edition of three; two were purchased for $120,000 USD at Art Basel.
The selling price garnered significant media attention. One edition was purchased by Sarah Andelman, a founder of
Colette
Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (; 28 January 1873 – 3 August 1954), known mononymously as Colette, was a French author and woman of letters. She was also a mime, actress, and journalist. Colette is best known in the English-speaking world for her ...
.
Another edition was sold to Billy and Beatrice Cox, who stated:
We are acutely aware of the blatant absurdity of the fact that ''Comedian'' is an otherwise inexpensive and perishable piece of produce and a couple of inches of duct tape. When we saw the public debate sparked about art and our society, we decided to purchase it. We knew we were taking a risk, but ultimately we sense that Cattelan’s banana will become an iconic historical object.
In August 2020 artist
Damien Hirst
Damien Steven Hirst (; né
Brennan; born 7 June 1965) is an English artist, entrepreneur, and art collector. He is one of the Young British Artists (YBAs) who dominated the art scene in the UK during the 1990s. He is reportedly the United Kingd ...
complained to the media that he was unable to purchase the piece and had offered to trade any of his own works for it with Cattelan; Cattelan replied that the piece had sold out.
The following month ''Comedian'' was donated to the
Guggenheim Museum
The Guggenheim Museums are a group of museums in different parts of the world established (or proposed to be established) by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation.
Museums in this group include:
Locations
Americas
* The Solomon R. Guggenhei ...
, with instructions and diagrams for its installation and display.
Intervention
After its sale, while still on exhibit at Art Basel, Georgian performance artist
David Datuna
David Datuna ( ka, დეივიდ დათუნა; February 10, 1974 – May 23, 2022) was a Georgian-born American artist who lived in New York City. His ''Viewpoint of Millions'' series explores the sources and meaning of cultural iden ...
ate the piece in
an intervention he called ''Hungry Artist''. The banana was replaced later that day.
No legal action was taken against him, though he was asked to leave the fair.
Datuna stated, "What we perceive as materialism is nothing but social conditioning. Any meaningful interaction with an object could turn it to art. I am a hungry artist, and I am hungry for new interactions."
Interpretations
Following a flurry of publicity, a number of commentators satirized or interpreted ''Comedian''. Designer
Sebastian ErraZuriz taped a dildo to a wall with duct tape and listed it for sale for $12,000.
Cryptocurrency
A cryptocurrency, crypto-currency, or crypto is a digital currency designed to work as a medium of exchange through a computer network that is not reliant on any central authority, such as a government or bank, to uphold or maintain it. It i ...
artist CryptoGraffiti created ''The Commodity'', "which instructed collectors to find and claim a banana with a bitcoin key address carved into it".
Actress
Brooke Shields taped a banana to her forehead with blue tape and posted it to
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
with the caption, "An expensive
selfie
A selfie () is a self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a digital camera or smartphone, which may be held in the hand or supported by a selfie stick. Selfies are often shared on social media, via social networking services such as ...
".
Designer
Simon Porte Jacquemus
Simon Porte Jacquemus (born 16 January 1990) is a French fashion designer and the founder of the Jacquemus fashion label.
Early life
Jacquemus was born in Salon-de-Provence, France into a relatively poor family of farmers; his father occasional ...
"created a merch opportunity when posting a duct-taped yellow version of
ismicro Le Chiquito bag".
Popeyes Chicken
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc., also known as Popeyes and formerly named Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits and Popeyes Famous Fried Chicken & Biscuits, is an American multinational chain of fried chicken fast food restaurants that was formed in 1972 ...
joined with the San Paul Gallery Urban Art in Miami to create ''The Sandwich'', a chicken sandwich taped to a white wall with duct tape; it was listed at $120,003.99 and "became a viral sensation in its own right".
Multiple other brands followed suit, including the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
,
Burger King
Burger King (BK) is an American-based multinational chain store, chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida–based res ...
,
Hostess,
Perrier
Perrier ( , also , ) is a French brand of natural bottled mineral water obtained at its source in Vergèze, located in the Gard ''département''. Perrier is known for its carbonation and its distinctive green bottle.
Perrier was part of the ...
,
Carrefour
Carrefour () is a French multinational retail and wholesaling corporation headquartered in Massy, France. The eighth-largest retailer in the world by revenue, it operates a chain of hypermarkets, groceries stores and convenience stores, which ...
,
Sweetgreen,
Absolut, and
Bobbi Brown
Bobbi Brown (born in April 14, 1957) is an American professional make-up artist, author, and the founder of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics. She created ten natural-shade lipsticks which according to ''Entrepreneur'' "revolutionized the beauty industry". ...
.
Removal
In the morning on Sunday, December 8, 2019, ''Comedian'' was removed from the fair. The curators removed the piece because they were afraid other art would be damaged by queuing crowds.
After the removal, the gallery released the following statement:
''Comedian'', with its simple composition, ultimately offered a complex reflection of ourselves. We would like to warmly thank all those who participated in this memorable adventure, as well as to our colleagues. We sincerely apologize to all the visitors of the fair who today will not be able to participate in ''Comedian''.
After the removal, Perrotin created a social media account dedicated to the piece.
One of the walls featuring the piece was later vandalized with the text "
Epstien didn't kill himself" in lipstick, which was soon covered by the art fair.
Court case
Artist Joe Morford has filed a suit against Cattelan for copyright infringement of his 2000 work titled ''Banana & Orange''. In July 2022, a federal judge in the
Southern District of Florida denied Cattelan's motion to dismiss the case.
See also
*
2019 in art
References
External links
Cattelan Banana on Instagram
{{Authority control
2019 works
Adhesive tape
Bananas in popular culture
Conceptual art
Vandalized works of art in the United States
Works by Italian people