Banana (F. & S. II.10)
Banana (F. & S. II.10)
Signed Print
Andy Warhol
Screenprint, 1966
Signed Print Edition of 300
H 61cm x W 135cm
Critical Review
In 1966 Andy Warhol first produced his now-iconic Banana image. The Pop artist screen printed a yellow and black banana onto laminated plastic which he then adhered to a Styrene background. Warhol initially produced the image for the rock band, The Velvet Underground’s debut album entitled The Velvet Underground and Nico. The album cover featured this “peel and stick” banana, which the viewer was invited to peel back to expose a flesh-coloured fruit. This image became nearly synonymous with the short-lived, but influential band and also a regular feature of Warhol’s oeuvre. The signed Banana (F. & S.II.10) comes from an edition of 300.
In 2012 Lou Reed and John Cale sued the Andy Warhol Foundation for unauthorised use of the image given its close connection with the band. They argued that the image could not be licensed for commercial products by the Foundation as it also belonged to the band. Although settled privately, this lawsuit over “ownership” of an image posthumously continues to highlight Warhol’s fascination with mass production. The Banana emphasises the stretch of Warhol’s influence from the 1960s until now, as the image continues to be instantly recognisable
