Arina Danilova

The demand for art has been a concept passed down for hundreds of years, from generation to generation. With different mediums throughout the years, the scarcity and individuality of artwork has drawn in onlookers all over the world. In fact, the oldest documented art piece was created on a cave’s walls in the
Lubang Jeriji Saléh cave on Borneo, a large island in Asia. This 40-50,000 year-old work depicted a large wild cattle-like beast,
one who’s evolutions are now native to the forests of Borneo (Smithsonian Magazine).

Can we still call art a luxury, when it’s been so publicly and worldly sought after for centuries? Well, the Artist Market Co. states, “Even as hunter/gatherers, when food was the thing you thought about morning, noon and night, we made art.”, therefore solidifying the need for art regardless of economic status or era.

The idea that art is a luxury is most likely perpetuated by the experimental nature of modern art, the pieces that people look at and think, “I can make that myself”, priced at a point that seems both ridiculously and unjustifiably expensive. An infamous instance of this occurred during 2019 Art Basel Miami Beach fair,
where Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan reportedly created three “versions” of this work entitled Comedian, one of which sold for 6.2 Million dollars. No, the banana wasn’t made of gold, though its a fair assumption (apnews.com). This was an average fruit most people overlook costing on average under a dollar at any grocery store, taped to a wall by unflattering, gray duct tape. So, if not inaccessible and scarce materials, and uniqueness, what gave this work its value?

During an interview with The Art newspaper, Maurizio Cattelan answered our question, “To me, ‘Comedian’ was not a joke; it was a sincere commentary and a reflection on what we value. At art fairs, speed and business reign, so I saw it like this: If I had to be at a fair, I could sell a banana like others sell their paintings. I could play within the system but with my rules.” (dw.com). If Cattelan’s conceptual language still isn’t clear, the price of the banana was partly due to the irony of it being considered an artwork itself, and partly because it was sold and advertised to a demanding audience, his plan worked! Maurizio aimed to prove the nature of art fairs and buyers, and he succeeded in doing so by framing the banana as an artwork, and giving it imaginary value!