Opinion: Bad contemporary art exposes more pressing problems.
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Earlier this month, “Comedian,” an art piece done by controversial Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan and housed in Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul , was consumed by a hungry museum visitor. Before you picture a man shoving fistfulls of shredded canvas into his mouth or taking a bite out of a wooden frame, know that “Comedian,” which has previously sold for $120,000, is a banana duct-taped to a wall. I say “is” rather than “was” as “Comedian” is more of a concept than a piece — the banana is replaced every couple of days for freshness. In fact, this was not even the first time that “Comedian” met this very fate.
While “Comedian” garnered some laughs, I do think it was because of its consumption rather than conception. It’s common to bristle at this sort of contemporary art: art that is simple, nontraditional and designed to push the boundaries of what art should be.“Comedian” is just one in a very long list of controversial contemporary art — other examples that have made headlines include a fully functional golden toilet, a room where the lights go on and off in five second intervals and an all-white canvas that sold for $20 million. Rather than enjoy or relish in this type of art, museum guests give it the side-eye, questioning whether or not it should be in a museum at all.
Before I give my opinion on “Comedian,” here’s a quick disclaimer: I am not an art historian or critic. Although I sometimes dabble in the craft (I like to draw eyes in the corner of my notebook and then scribble them out before anyone can see), I would not consider myself an artist. There is research I haven’t done, books I haven’t read and little placards next to museum artwork that have gone unnoticed by me. However, as someone who scrolls through Twitter and wanders the occasional art gallery, I would say I am qualified enough to give my opinion on the state of contemporary art. So, here it comes.
“Comedian” and modern art more generally provides a great metaphor for one of the major social problems of our time. While the work of so many great artists are ignored, it’s those with the greatest connections that get their art plastered on the wall. The people who are the most praised are not necessarily that way because they are the best. What ends up in an art museum is arbitrary, and has a whole lot more to do with money than with skill. My ugly scribble will never make it to the MoMA, but someone else’s is currently considered groundbreaking and inspiring.
Modern art enrages us because it exposes an ugly truth about the current economy — we do not live in a meritocracy. Talent is not rewarded, and those who make the money are only the most successful at bullshitting the masses. Meanwhile, when we call this out, our taste is questioned. The rich and pretentious attempt to gaslight us into believing that the artwork is actually good, meanwhile they manipulate the art industry in order to avoid taxes and launder money. To watch someone stare into a white canvas or a jar full of toenail clippings at one of the world’s most famous art museums is to watch the capitalist promise of meritocracy crumble before their very eyes.
Some might argue that there is value in this type of contemporary art. Afterall, it raises some interesting questions about the nature and meaning of art. I can’t pretend that I haven’t been entertained by the whole “Comedian”saga, and that I wouldn’t get excited to see the famous banana taped to the wall if I was in a museum. Still, I think the most exciting part of “Comedian” was when, for a short moment, it no longer existed. In an instant, “Comedian” went from a prized piece of art, valued at over $100,000, to a lowly snack. It was satisfying to see, even if a new “Comedian” took its place not too much later.
It is hard to know if “Comedian” is laughing at us or with us. Either way, an art museum is as good a place as any to learn that the world is not a meritocracy, and sometimes a banana taped to a wall is what passes for art. Cheers to hoping “modern opinion columning” takes hold so I can turn in a picture of a banana as my next piece. Unfortunately, I probably won’t be paid $120,000 for it.
