Maurizio Cattelan
a controversial artist
Today’s art focus is on the Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, one of the most controversial artists of our times as well as one of the most famous. His artworks are mainly hyperrealistic sculptures or installations, of different sizes and nature but all united by his distinctive sense of humor and satirical approach.
In fact, Maurizio Cattelan has always been considered the joker and prankster of the art world, a field where big names and high standards are always considered to be very important. Nevertheless, he found a place in this complicated world without any formal training (he is a completely self taught artist), just attending art events and showing off his insatiable gall.
For example, I’m sure the last time you heard of him was in 2019, thanks to his sculpture “Comedian”: still not familiar? That’s because the name does not really say anything about the artwork it self, which is the notorious banana taped on a wall, reason of many debates and critics.
The very perishable piece of fruit, together with the duct tape, of a total value of probably less than a dollar, was produced in a series of three and purchased for $120,000 USD at Art Basel. Yes, you read it correctly. But why is it? What does a simple banana tell about the contemporary art market?
To understand that we might as well mention another of Cattelan’s famous pieces, again another well made joke. We are talking about “America”, his toilet made of 18-karat solid gold (it’s also actually working!) installed at Blenheim Palace. This is another great example of satirical participatory art which invites people to reflect on the real value of art in our contemporary world, sometimes more concerned with the raw material of the piece rather than the concept behind it. The title close the circle and gives the final blow, suggesting how the American capitalist model can, literally, turn shit into gold.
Going back to the taped banana, it could be now easier to understand how the two pieces are connected because diametrically opposed. “Comedian“, in fact, operates in reverse and proposes a piece of art of insignificant monetary value and ultimately sells it for a high price. Smart, isn’t it?
As mentioned before, the satirical approach is not something new in Cattelan’s work. In fact, since the very beginning of his career, Maurizio Cattelan has repetitively surprised art critics and audiences with his witty and innovative interventions.
In occasion of his first solo exhibition at Galleria Neon in Bologna, back in 1989, declaring him self not happy with what he had produced, he locked the gallery door and hanged a small sign saying “TORNO SUBITO”, Italian for “I’ll be right back”. He never showed up and the piece of artwork was precisely that sign, forcing the visitor to wait for the entire duration of the exhibition.
The same year, this time at the Pinacoteca di Ravenna, Maurizio Cattelan, when asked to create a piece of art, delivered a medical certificate instead. The latter stated he was too sick to create an artwork and, again, it became the artwork it self. A couple of years later, at the Galleria Luciano Inga-Pin in Milan the artist basically made the same joke, by handing in a police report testifying not only the invisibility of the piece but its theft too.
In 1992, Cattelan makes fun of the concept of an art gallery by knotting a bunch of bed sheets and by hanging the fabric rope outside of one of the windows of Castello di Rivara in Turin: once again, this time in the guise of a thief, Maurizio Cattelan made a very strong statement on the authoritarian nature of museums from which he suggests it’s better escape.
We could go on and list many other of his artworks which challenged the art world and his corner-stores and probably never get bored, with a bitter smile for the important and touchy topics involved. What we know for sure is that his art, like it or not, accept it or not, will always stimulate some sort of reflection and we like it for that!
