Eat It.

Hello. Welcome to the Weekend Gene Pool, in which we challenge you to submit personal anecdotes, opinions, and observations in exchange for minor entertainment. Above is “Comedian,” by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, which just sold at a Sotheby’s auction for $6.2 million. The buyer, a cryptocurrency entrepreneur named Justin Sun, says he plans to eat it.

Oddly, the banana itself was not included in the sale, since bananas rot pretty quickly. The main value was the idea, and a certificate of authenticity from the artist, which invites the owner to replace the banana, and re-duct tape it. So, consider it reductive art.

Conceptual art has always been challenging, pushing the boundaries of sanity, such as Marcel Duchamp’s 1917 “Fountain,” in which he mounted a urinal on the wall:

… and Robert Rauschenberg’s 1953 “Erased DeKooning Drawing” in which he exhibited a pencil sketch by the great Dutch expressionist Willem De Kooning, but only after Rauschenberg erased it:

So first, here is today’s Gene Pool Gene Poll:

I have certain thoughts about this, which I will share in a day or two.

—

As far as your questions, observations and anecdotes, please tell us of one of two things: Things considered art that you do not consider art, OR things that are not considered art that you consider art. Yes, this is a deep challenge but I feel you are up to it.

Send your thoughts here, as always, to this here button:

Also, have you noticed that Trump’s cabinet choices seem to be all hot-looking people?