March 9, 2012
I am well aware that when I write about art I often come off as a cranky old man. I am not old but yes, I fully admit to the cranky part. However, before you prepare to dismiss this Imponderable as the ravings of someone who does not appreciate art, read this story and ask yourself if this man deserves the equivalent of over $2,600.
While I grudgingly admit that yes, a couple of gold French fries is art, I call shenanigans (a more polite term than bullshit) on the description of it as “the metamorphosis of a profane, everyday object into a sacred artwork.” I’m sorry, it is a couple of French fries.
The disgusting part is not that the original fries that “inspired” the work was lost by the gallery, but that a court ruled that they were worth over $2,600 Euros, plus interest. These are two year-old potatoes. Were they encased in plastic? Preserved in amber? Pumped full of preservatives? I mean pumped full of more preservatives than French fries already are. And what was so special about those particular fries anyway? Most fries look alike. Some are crinkle cut, some are shoestring, some have skin left on, but get a large fries with your Happy Meal and they all look pretty much the same.
As I said, the golden fries are art. Unless the original spuds were part of some display and connected to the golden fries in some sort of artistic piece, and even if they were they can be easily replaced, they are not art.
Are a couple of fries that you can buy at McDonald’s for about a buck really worth $2,600?
The question is Imponderable.
And this is yet more proof that when you mix Germany and France bad things happen.
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