Putting the 'Peel' in Sex Appeal: A Piece of Art Consisting of a Banana Taped to the Gallery's Wall Sells for $120,000

In a world searching for meaning, you’ve still gotta be a genius to be top banana in the art field.

At Miami’s Art Basel this week, a particularly moving work went for the bargain basement sum of $120,000.

The controversial piece — known as The Comedian — was dreamed up by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, who previously vibrated lovers of fine fancy with his installment America.

That nation-named stunner consisted of an 18-carat-gold toilet.

Waiting to Pee in “America,” the Gold Toilet at the Guggenheim https://t.co/BGp6HcuN9B @SEANHANNITY @FOXNEWS @POTUS

— Cindy ann marie (@Cindyannmarie1) December 5, 2019

The new catapult for deep thought comes courtesy of a mesmerizing scene: The Comedian’s comprised of a banana.

The galaxy’s most portable fruit is taped to the wall.

With duct tape.

Voilà.

Art Basel: Banana duct-taped to wall sells for $120,000 in Miami Beach – CBS News https://t.co/qvKMQzOiTG

— Joe Rogan (@joerogan) December 7, 2019

As for the gold toilet, the six-million-dollar throne was stolen from England’s Blenheim Palace over the summer. Perhaps even more tragic, however — and I’d hate to be the one to break this to the connoisseur who forked over $120 Big Ones and clearly’s no vegetarian — is the fact that bananas…decompose.

Very soon, The Comedian will be ready for The Commode.

But somebody five-fingered it.

🙁

Stolen America https://t.co/O71vv5SHK3

— Fisher (@FisherStudio) December 7, 2019

So crappy.

Concerning a soon-to-be inedible yellow masterpiece, Art Basel founder Emmanuel Perrotin explained to CBS why the artisan plays second banana to no one:

“Whether affixed to the wall of an art fair booth or displayed on the cover of the New York Post, [Maurizio’s] work forces us to question how value is placed on material goods.”

“The spectacle,” he insisted, “is as much a part of the work as the banana.”

So what’s it all mean?

Here’s CBS to school you:

Some critics argue this piece is a perfect representation of what the art world has become with its gaping wealth inequalities. Others, however, chose not to go as deep and appreciate the simplicity of the art piece.

And if you’re wondering how it all came about, I’ve got the origin story:

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 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.”

Back to the idea of “second banana,” there’s already been one. And now, a third.

Maurizio’s peddling three of ’em.

The tur– sorry, the third’s expected to go for 150K.

And there’s great news for the caveat emptor-minded consumer — as it turns out, high-brow art collection is a DIY endeavor:

The Miami Herald reported that owners can replace the banana, as needed.

Perfecto.

But is it really worthy anything? In order to procure their potassium-rich prize, the buyer will have to untape it from the wall. That means once they get home and the banana rots, all they’ll have paid for is a piece of tape.