Many of the world’s glitterati have descended on Miami for the annual Art Basel exhibition where “leading galleries from North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia show significant work from the masters of Modern and contemporary art, as well as the new generation of emerging stars.”
So far, the talk of the show has been artist Maurizio Cattelan’s ‘The Comedian,’ a banana brilliantly duct taped to the gallery wall. The bold installation made such an impression on show-goers that it was quickly snapped up for $120,000.
A banana duct-taped to a wall was sold for $120,000 at Art Basel Miami https://t.co/sMT6DW4OOO pic.twitter.com/V8GLASiMRY
— CBS News (@CBSNews) December 7, 2019
What was the inspiration for Cattelan’s piece? As CBS News reports . . .
The artist first came up with the idea a year ago. He “was thinking of a sculpture that was shaped like a banana,” according to a press statement from (gallery founder Emmanuel) Perrotin.
“Every time he traveled, he brought a banana with him and hung it in his hotel room to find inspiration. He made several models: first in resin, then in bronze and in painted bronze (before) finally coming back to the initial idea of a real banana.”
As to the deeper significance of ‘The Comedian’ . . .
“Whether affixed to the wall of an art fair booth or displayed on the cover of the New York Post, his work forces us to question how value is placed on material goods,” he said.
A real banana, of course, will eventually turn to mush. What then?
The artist reported no clear instructions for buyers on whether the bananas start to decompose.
The good news is that the visionary patron who purchased ‘The Comedian’ can always send a servant to a local grocery store to acquire another suitable example of the fruit and affix the replacement to the wall.
The transcendent nature of ‘The Comedian’ sparked a flash of inspiration for those of us here at TTAG. Though some may criticize it as derivative, we’re now offering our own work of art we call ‘The Libertarian.’
You can see a current installation of the piece here:
Purchasing patrons will select their choice of any commercially available handgun from a list we will provide upon request. TTAG’s skilled installation personnel will then travel anywhere in the United States to expertly install the piece in the patron’s home, office or other location of their choosing.
Here we see an Italianate version of the work featuring the finest materials sourced from purveyors such as the centuries-old Fabbrica d’Armi Pietro Beretta S.p.A as well as Home Depot.
Unlike Cattelan’s more transitory piece, installations of ‘The Libertarian’ will not require regular replacement of the primary materials. However, should patrons wish to re-locate ‘The Libertarian’ after its initial installation, TTAG generously provides an additional roll of artist-grade duct tape as well as detailed hanging instructions as part of the purchase price.
For an additional $1000 fee, TTAG will supply one box of fifty (50) rounds of the appropriate caliber ammunition at the patron’s request. We will also offer consultative services as to the ammunition’s storage and/or display options.
Gallery and patron inquiries are welcome at thetruthaboutguns@gmail.com.
Disclaimer: all applicable federal, state and local laws will apply.