When a Banana Isn't
Last week Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan stuck a banana to a wall with a piece of duct tape and called it, “Comedian.” The piece was promptly purchased by an art collector for $120,000.
A second piece was made and sold for the same price.
Shortly thereafter a third piece was commissioned and on display at Art Basel Miami. Then, in front of a roomful of guests and museum officials, performance artist David Datuna removed the banana from the wall and ate it.
That’s right – he ate a piece of art worth $120,000.
Value is subjective…
Is a banana taped to a wall really worth $120,000? Of course not, that’s ridiculous. But that’s not what art collecting is about. They aren’t buying the canvas, the paint, or the banana duct taped to a wall.
They’re buying a story.
A story so weird and wonderful you can’t wait to bring your friends over to watch their jaws drop when you tell them. And that jaw-drop? That reaction? That feeling?
That’s what they paid $120,000 for.
According to museum officials, Datuna’s destruction of the piece by eating the banana doesn’t diminish its value in the least. In fact, “Comedian” comes with a Certificate of Authenticity with instructions to replace the banana whenever necessary.
The banana is not the point.
When your middle-aged dad pays $2500 for a Gibson Les Paul guitar instead of $500 for an Epiphone Les Paul, is he really getting a 5x better guitar? Definitely not, and plenty of blind tests prove it. But it’s just not cool to show off your Epiphone, when all your heroes played a Gibson, is it?
When an author hires Chip Kidd, the legendary book cover designer, and pays 10x what they would pay any other veteran designer, are they really getting a 10x better cover? Probably not. What they’re getting is the story, “The same guy who designed Jurassic Park also designed my cover.”
And to the right person, that story is priceless.
…so be careful who determines yours
Who’s right? The hungry man who sees a banana as food, or the collector who sees a banana as a story worth $120,000?
Both.
Artistic value is determined not by us, but them. When you show up with your art – be it a painting, a blog, a speech, a magic trick, a cosplay creation, or even a meaningful conversation with a customer or coworker – it’s imperative you only pay attention to the feedback from people aligned with your vision.
Don’t judge your worth as a nurse by a rude addict just looking to score meds. Don’t judge your worth as a science fiction writer by your discouraging friend who only likes memoirs. Don’t judge your worth as a teacher by an angry parent who only cares about their child’s GPA.
If you’re selling bananas, talk to hungry people. If you’re selling a story, talk to believers.
And whichever group you choose, don’t let your self-worth be determined by the other.
