by Pa Rock
Social Critic
An unusual piece of art caused a bit of a stir at the Art Basel Miami Beach this past week. Italian artist, Maurizio Cattelan, who had been absent from the art fair scene for the past fifteen years, reemerged with a piece that became the talk of the art show in Miami.
According to reports Cattelan went to a local market and purchased three bananas. Then he took his bananas, along with three strips of duct tape, back to the exhibition where he taped the three bananas, individually, to a wall. The first two sold quickly for $120,000 each, and the third was still hanging awaiting someone to meet its asking price of $150,000.
One may assume that the third piece of "art" included either a bigger banana - or a longer piece of duct tape - than the other two.
The artist entitled his work "Comedian," a label that was very apropos - because it left many laughing - and Maurizio Cattelan undoubtedly laughed all the way to the bank!
The art came with no instructions as to what the new owners should do when their purchases begin to blacken and rot. Perhaps they could turn them into loaves of banana bread and tape them to the walls!
In related news, police are still searching for another work by the same artist. Several years ago Cattelan sculpted an 18-carat working gold toilet that was valued at around six million dollars. It was recently ripped from the wall and stolen from Bleinheim Palace in England where it had been serving a less-than-artistic utilitarian purpose.
Cattelan's toilet was called "America," and had originally been part of an exhibition entitled "Victory is Not an Option."
British police are taking the theft of the golden toilet seriously. So far five arrests have been made, but the toilet itself has not been flushed out. A reward has been offered.
And finally, as long as we have relocated this story to England, a British couple are offering a "golden" job opportunity for the right applicant. The couple, who describe themselves as business executives who spend a lot of time traveling internationally, are seeking someone reliable to be a live-in caretaker for their two golden retrievers, Milo and Oscar, at their London home. The right candidate will be willing to work Monday through Friday and occasional weekends for pay between $38,676 and $41,254 per year - along with room and board. Included with the dog-sitting would be some housework such as "cleaning, occasional laundry, and light cooking."
A couple who maintain a nice home in London primarily for the benefit of their dogs, might also enjoy the status of having a $120,000 banana duct-taped to their living room wall - or a six-million-dollar golden toilet in their water closet.
The rich are different from you and me, but there are times when one suspects that we are definitely smarter than them!
Just sayin' . . .
Social Critic
An unusual piece of art caused a bit of a stir at the Art Basel Miami Beach this past week. Italian artist, Maurizio Cattelan, who had been absent from the art fair scene for the past fifteen years, reemerged with a piece that became the talk of the art show in Miami.
According to reports Cattelan went to a local market and purchased three bananas. Then he took his bananas, along with three strips of duct tape, back to the exhibition where he taped the three bananas, individually, to a wall. The first two sold quickly for $120,000 each, and the third was still hanging awaiting someone to meet its asking price of $150,000.
One may assume that the third piece of "art" included either a bigger banana - or a longer piece of duct tape - than the other two.
The artist entitled his work "Comedian," a label that was very apropos - because it left many laughing - and Maurizio Cattelan undoubtedly laughed all the way to the bank!
The art came with no instructions as to what the new owners should do when their purchases begin to blacken and rot. Perhaps they could turn them into loaves of banana bread and tape them to the walls!
In related news, police are still searching for another work by the same artist. Several years ago Cattelan sculpted an 18-carat working gold toilet that was valued at around six million dollars. It was recently ripped from the wall and stolen from Bleinheim Palace in England where it had been serving a less-than-artistic utilitarian purpose.
Cattelan's toilet was called "America," and had originally been part of an exhibition entitled "Victory is Not an Option."
British police are taking the theft of the golden toilet seriously. So far five arrests have been made, but the toilet itself has not been flushed out. A reward has been offered.
And finally, as long as we have relocated this story to England, a British couple are offering a "golden" job opportunity for the right applicant. The couple, who describe themselves as business executives who spend a lot of time traveling internationally, are seeking someone reliable to be a live-in caretaker for their two golden retrievers, Milo and Oscar, at their London home. The right candidate will be willing to work Monday through Friday and occasional weekends for pay between $38,676 and $41,254 per year - along with room and board. Included with the dog-sitting would be some housework such as "cleaning, occasional laundry, and light cooking."
A couple who maintain a nice home in London primarily for the benefit of their dogs, might also enjoy the status of having a $120,000 banana duct-taped to their living room wall - or a six-million-dollar golden toilet in their water closet.
The rich are different from you and me, but there are times when one suspects that we are definitely smarter than them!
Just sayin' . . .
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