# Million dollar/six year old kid sister art {Banana Art} **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** arts-crafts\ **Created:** [November 22, 2024, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/million-dollar-six-year-old-kid-sister-art-banana-art/1010616 "2024-11-22T16:19:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/million-dollar-six-year-old-kid-sister-art-banana-art/1010616/41 "2024-11-23T01:35:34Z")
If you tried to sell it as such, yes. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/million-dollar-six-year-old-kid-sister-art-banana-art/1010616/42 "2024-11-23T01:38:57Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > Why don’t they just duct tape their own banana to their front hallway, pound their own six inch nail into a two by four, or glue a photo of Madonna to a paper towel roll themselves and dispense with the whole seven figure auction business? > > Because they aren’t artists. And neither are the folks they’re buying from. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/million-dollar-six-year-old-kid-sister-art-banana-art/1010616/43 "2024-11-23T02:20:32Z")
People try to reproduce art all the time (I’ve done it many times and it’s a bit more of the “nailed it!” meme than actually nailing it). It’s only a crime if: > [@beowulff](#): > > If you tried to sell it as such, yes. So, knock yourself out and tape up that banana! Don’t be surprised to find that the old saying is really true: Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/million-dollar-six-year-old-kid-sister-art-banana-art/1010616/44 "2024-11-23T15:21:44Z")
So it’s only forgery if I try to sell it? If I did it just for my own personal viewing (assuming that I found pleasure in looking at a banana duct taped to a wall) then it’s not considered forgery? I’m reminded of an argument I had with the teacher of a course in Aesthetics I took in college. I maintained that if someone painted something that was, at least to my eyes, indistinguishable from an original painting then it was just as pleasing as the original and, to me, just as valuable. The teacher said that if I knew it was a copy I should not be able to consider it as pleasing as the original. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@epbrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/million-dollar-six-year-old-kid-sister-art-banana-art/1010616/45 "2024-11-23T15:23:41Z")
_The Kill Room_ with Uma Thurman, 2023 ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/million-dollar-six-year-old-kid-sister-art-banana-art/1010616/46 "2024-11-23T15:40:20Z")
> [@LurkMeister](#): > > So it’s only forgery if I try to sell it? Yep. Producing works of visual art that are manual reproductions for your own pleasure and education is not only legal, it’s generally part of the curriculum in art school. I’ve still got a copy of Goya’s _Saturn Eating His Children_ that I did in college. Now, I imagine I could sell that reproduction as long as I made sure that the buyer knew that I produced it and not Goya. The part I’m not sure of is whether you could tape two bananas to the wall, call it “_Comedian_ (after Cattelan)”, and sell it as your own work. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2024, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/million-dollar-six-year-old-kid-sister-art-banana-art/1010616/47 "2024-11-23T21:11:22Z")
Call it “_Clown_ (after Cattelan’s _Comedian_)”, for extra safety. But Cattelan’s lawyers may throw banana peels in your path. 😀 ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2024, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/million-dollar-six-year-old-kid-sister-art-banana-art/1010616/48 "2024-11-24T13:00:57Z")
It’s one banana, Michael, how much could it cost. 6.5 million dollars? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2024, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/million-dollar-six-year-old-kid-sister-art-banana-art/1010616/49 "2024-11-24T18:52:20Z")
I saw an article quoting the artist who created Comedian > “It’s a provocation that invites us to reflect on the value of art and the dynamics of (this) market, pushing us to question what this work says about us as viewers,” [Maurizio] Cattelan told Italian daily La Repubblica. He also said of the piece > “It’s the market that has decided to take a banana stuck on the wall so seriously. If the system is so frail to slip on a banana skin, maybe it was already slippery,” Cattelan added. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2024, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/million-dollar-six-year-old-kid-sister-art-banana-art/1010616/50 "2024-11-24T18:55:51Z")
Three bucks at Etsy! This’ll really class up the joint. [https://www.etsy.com/listing/1530352616/duct-taped-banana-sticker-funny](https://www.etsy.com/listing/1530352616/duct-taped-banana-sticker-funny) ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2024, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/million-dollar-six-year-old-kid-sister-art-banana-art/1010616/51 "2024-11-24T19:44:56Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I saw an article quoting the artist who created Comedian > > > “It’s a provocation that invites us to reflect on the value of art and the dynamics of (this) market, pushing us to question what this work says about us as viewers,” [Maurizio] Cattelan told Italian daily La Repubblica. Well, if his goal was to get us to conclude that modern art is a scam and its patrons and aficionados are suckers, he succeeded. ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2024, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/million-dollar-six-year-old-kid-sister-art-banana-art/1010616/52 "2024-11-25T13:21:02Z")
On a conceptual level, I really don’t have a big issue with the banana duct taped to the wall and calling it “comedian” (harkening back to the old show biz term ‘top banana’, meaning the comedian most in demand). It’s cute. There’s a ‘message’ and we get it. If it was a charity auction benefitting some worthy cause, we’d probably even applaud its sale at seven figures. It’s just when I look at its sale in the private sphere where talented artists are competing for the top spots that I take issue. It’s not unlike the millionaires that throw a ball around on tv. Sure, there’s some limited entertainment value there, but nowhere near the societal resources that are being dedicated to them. Those resources could be used SO MUCH more effectively elsewhere to improve humanity’s condition. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2024, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/million-dollar-six-year-old-kid-sister-art-banana-art/1010616/53 "2024-11-25T13:35:22Z")
> [@Cardigan](#): > > On a conceptual level, I really don’t have a big issue with the banana duct taped to the wall and calling it “comedian” (harkening back to the old show biz term ‘top banana’, meaning the comedian most in demand). I kind of figured it was more riffing on the idea of a guy slipping on a banana peel and windmilling his arms while making a woah-OAH-oah-OAH-oah sound. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2024, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/million-dollar-six-year-old-kid-sister-art-banana-art/1010616/54 "2024-11-25T14:10:22Z")
> “In the coming days, I will personally eat the banana as part of this unique artistic experience,” Mr. Sun was quoted as saying. I mean, that’s just one performance artist outdoing the original one, in my opinion. Metaphors of crass consumerism! (unintended I think) ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2024, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/million-dollar-six-year-old-kid-sister-art-banana-art/1010616/55 "2024-11-26T20:28:46Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Probably should be it’s own thread, but - Art doesn’t need to be “pretty.” > A good art piece is supposed to evoke an emotion, or start a conversation, or inspire a thought. It’s not just supposed to look nice. A wise man once said, in contemplation of a piece of modern art, “It’s not art. it just _looks_ like art!” A dog licking its genitals, an airplane crash, or a Buddhist monk setting himself on fire also “evoke an emotion, or start a conversation, or inspire a thought”. Are they art? or more to the point of “Banana on Wall, (mixed media)” is it a emotion, thought or conversation that means anything? “It’s art, but is it _good_ art?” A 7 figure price, or strangers discussing it on a message board, do not in and of itself make it good art. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2024, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/million-dollar-six-year-old-kid-sister-art-banana-art/1010616/56 "2024-11-26T20:56:04Z")
I’m reply sure that _nobody_ can define what good art is. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2024, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/million-dollar-six-year-old-kid-sister-art-banana-art/1010616/57 "2024-11-26T20:58:48Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > I’m reply sure that _nobody_ can define what good art is. Well, to quote another wise man, “I know it when I see it.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/million-dollar-six-year-old-kid-sister-art-banana-art/1010616/58 "2024-11-27T10:56:24Z")
> [@J-P\_L](#): > > > [@dolphinboy](#): > > > > Perhaps the buyer thinks they can sell it for more money in 20 year, so they aren’t getting ripped off by some artist. > > At that time, it probably won’t be the original banana, would that make it a forgery? They’ll probably have to replace the duct tape as well, so it’ll be Comedian of Theseus. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/million-dollar-six-year-old-kid-sister-art-banana-art/1010616/59 "2024-11-27T11:39:10Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > Oh, no. It can replaced as needed. Or not. In fact this is like the fourth iteration. The original was eaten by a fellow artist. Version 2 and 3 were sold for $120,000 and $140,000. The buyer does not even get the one on display. What he bought is a certificate that enables him to place his own banana and duct duct on a wall of his choice and call it, “Comedian”. For comparison’s sake, I saw a composition in the Art Institute of Chicago’s modern wing last year, meant to be a portrait of the artist’s lover, that consisted of about 175 lbs of wrapped penny candies in a big pile. The contents of the pile are not fixed, as patrons are permitted to take from the pile and it must be occasionally replenished. > **["Untitled" (Portrait of Ross in L.A.)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%22Untitled%22_(Portrait_of_Ross_in_L.A.))** > > "Untitled" (Portrait of Ross in L.A.) is a work of art by Félix González-Torres (or Felix Gonzalez-Torres), currently in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, United States. The work is one of the twenty "candy works" in Gonzalez-Torres's oeuvre. The candy works are manifestable; the artworks are not physically permanent, they can exist in more than one place at a time and can vary from one installation to the next in response to the decisions made by the exhibitor, the i A ... ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2024, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/million-dollar-six-year-old-kid-sister-art-banana-art/1010616/60 "2024-11-27T14:13:50Z")
I saw that too, and it really stuck with me! The diminishing candy represents the body of his lover wasting away from AIDS. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/million-dollar-six-year-old-kid-sister-art-banana-art/1010616.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/million-dollar-six-year-old-kid-sister-art-banana-art/1010616.md?page=4)