It is a banana. But is it art? In the long history of human creativity, works of great genius have been made out of tin cans, bricks, beds and human blood. So why not fruit?
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Dubious a-peel of 'edible masterpieces'
It is a banana. But is it art? In the long history of human creativity, works of great genius have been made out of tin cans, bricks, beds and human blood. So why not fruit?
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Anna Chojnicka was in her home in London when she had the idea: "I started to doodle on a banana".
The Londoner was bored and isolating at home when she noticed that banana skin changes colour when you press down on it. So, she picked up a seam ripperA tool used by sewers for cutting and removing stitches. and began to draw.
Since then, a hobby has turned into a craft. Chojnicka has bruised hundreds of bananas. They depict flowers, rabbits and goldfish. She has made portraits of Adele and Boris Johnson. One even recreates the Mona LisaAlso known as the Giaconda, a portrait by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. It became one of the world's most famous paintings after a successful robbery in 1911. . Chojnicka's pictures have brought her 15,000 Instagram followers.
Art used to follow strict rules. It meant paintings, sculptures and fine sketches. But ever since Marcel DuchampFrench artist (1887 - 1968) whose works challenged artistic norms. His piece L.H.O.O.Q. (1919) involved drawing a moustache and beard on a picture of the Mona Lisa. placed a urinal in a gallery in 1917, artists have used almost everything.
Andy Warhol framed soup cans. Carl Andre arranged piles of bricks. Tracy Emin put her bed in a gallery.
The materials have been varied, too. Piero Manzoni used rabbit fur, Marcel Broodthears used mussels and Dieter Roth used cheese and chocolate. Chris Ofili sticks elephant dung to his paintings. Judy Chicago makes smoke sculptures. Tomas Saraceno uses living spiders and their webs.
Some have taken things to extremes. Damien Hirst created art from dead animals and living insects. Carolee Schneemann rolled around in raw meat. Mark Quinn sculpted a self-portrait using his own blood. Wim Delvoye even tattooed a model's body as a "human canvas". When the model dies, his skin will be removed and framed.
Chojnicka is not even the first person to make art out of bananas. At Art BaselThe world's largest art fair, where galleries sell art to collectors. The edition Cattelan exhibited was not in Basel but in Miami. in 2019, sculptor Maurizio CattelanItalian artist (1960 - ) famous for his provocative works. Other pieces include a sculpture of the Pope hit by a meteor and a gold-plated toilet. taped a banana to a wall. It had a $120,000 price tag. One day, a passerby ate it and called it performance art.
Some believe that this sort of openness should be celebrated. Art was once exclusive: only those with very specific talents and training were able to create it. Now, everyone can be an artist. This makes art exciting. It also makes it diverse - like society itself.
For some, art is anything that engages our mind and senses, whatever the medium. As Marshall McLuhan said: "Art is anything you can get away with." In this view, Chojnicka's bananas are certainly art. Whether they are good art is a different question.
Others strongly disagree. Real art is rare and special. It takes remarkable skill to create. Only Michelangelo could paint the Sistine Chapel. Anyone can doodle on a banana - never mind tape one to a wall.
The critic Brian Sewell wrote: "I don't know what art is, but I know what it isn't. And it isn't someone walking around with a salmon on his shoulder."
The definition of art has always been open to interpretation. For some, art is about beauty. Others care more about its message.
Art has also expanded to mediums like sound, performances and data. As the number of things called artworks grows, the debate over what makes real art is becoming more complex than ever before.
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But is it art?
Yes: Robert Rauschenberg said: "The artist's job is to be a witness to his time in history." Born from lockdown boredom and covered in celebrities, Chojnicka's bananas are a reflection of life.
No: Art has to have a message or help us view the world in a new light. Chojnicka's odd assortment of celebrities, animals and household objects are just empty images. They say nothing at all.
Or...?: Art is subjective. What one person regards as a masterpiece, others might view with indifference or dislike. Chojnicka's bananas can be both art and not art, depending on who is looking at them.
Keywords
Seam ripper - A tool used by sewers for cutting and removing stitches.
Mona Lisa - Also known as the Giaconda, a portrait by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. It became one of the world's most famous paintings after a successful robbery in 1911.
Marcel Duchamp - French artist (1887 - 1968) whose works challenged artistic norms. His piece L.H.O.O.Q. (1919) involved drawing a moustache and beard on a picture of the Mona Lisa.
Art Basel - The world's largest art fair, where galleries sell art to collectors. The edition Cattelan exhibited was not in Basel but in Miami.
Maurizio Cattelan - Italian artist (1960 - ) famous for his provocative works. Other pieces include a sculpture of the Pope hit by a meteor and a gold-plated toilet.
Dubious a-peel of ‘edible masterpieces’
Glossary
Seam ripper - A tool used by sewers for cutting and removing stitches.
Mona Lisa - Also known as the Giaconda, a portrait by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. It became one of the world’s most famous paintings after a successful robbery in 1911.
Marcel Duchamp - French artist (1887 - 1968) whose works challenged artistic norms. His piece L.H.O.O.Q. (1919) involved drawing a moustache and beard on a picture of the Mona Lisa.
Art Basel - The world’s largest art fair, where galleries sell art to collectors. The edition Cattelan exhibited was not in Basel but in Miami.
Maurizio Cattelan - Italian artist (1960 - ) famous for his provocative works. Other pieces include a sculpture of the Pope hit by a meteor and a gold-plated toilet.