Meets The Minimal Degree of Creativity (2023) Black 3.0 acrylic on canvas, velvet, expanding foam, silver duct tape 

This work is a reaction to the recent banana saga by artist Maurizio Cattelan, which sparked a lawsuit from an artist who claimed to be the first to stick fruit to a wall with duct tape. The judge’s decision in Cattelan’s favor, declaring that the piece “Meets The Minimal Degree of Creativity,” invites you to ponder the ever-blurred boundaries of artistic originality. Adding another layer, the black paint used here is Black 3.0 by Stuart Semple, a direct response to Anish Kapoor’s monopoly over the blackest, most light-absorbing pigment.

I’m fascinated by the question of who owns an idea and the absurdity of two artists clashing over duct-taped bananas and my intention here is to critique the ludicrous nature of such disputes through this humorous take on the commodification of ideas and the often arbitrary standards that define artistic value.