Fifty-thousand years ago, after the hunt, the community would gather around a large fire and, while some cooked and prepared the meal, a few would tell those who hadn't participated in the hunt about the action. Children and the older folks watched as the storytellers related the adventure of the hunt through drawing scenes of bison, wild horses, and other animals on the walls of the cave. Whether these storytellers were revered or not, they were important to the community. Among many other things, children learned which animals were favored for eating and which were to be avoided. As cultures developed artists were a regular part of civilization. Their stature rose from Roman slaves to professionals who were paid for their ability.
What sparked these many thoughts was a banana duct-taped to a wall and the reaction it sparked in artists. Many were upset that a banana taped to a wall had a price tag of $125,000 on it. Whether it actually sold or not I really do not know, or whether it even hung in a real gallery. I really wasn't interested in the piece, just in the conversation it sparked. Every so often a piece like the banana with duct tape comes along. For me it is a plus for the art community. These pieces get people talking about art for a short time. Back in those caves, art was a reward, it delighted and educated people. It recorded daily life for us to see where we came from. Those wonderful cave wall drawings have long since been replaced by big screen TVs, reducing conversations back to grunts and groans. We developed language through art. That banana returned art to the conversation, even if only to criticize what art has become.
