The Quirky Quote
Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.
~ This joke has long been attributed, perhaps inaccurately, to Groucho Marx.
The Quirky Observation
When I talk about banana art, I am not referring to the banana duct-taped to a wall by Italian artist
Maurizio Cattelan and titled “Comedian” for the 2019 Art Basel in Miami Beach, which sold for $120,000, and was subsequently eaten by performance artist
David Datuna. (Mr. Cattelan created three editions.)
I AM talking about London artist
Anna Chojnicka who went “a little bit stir crazy” while isolating during the pandemic and turned about 400 bananas into art. Her main tool is a seam ripper, and she describes her technique like this: She draws by pressing into the banana peel, causing it to oxidize or bruise. The marks become darker over time, and she uses that effect to create different shades, starting first with the parts she wants to be darkest.
"I don't ... press harder to create a darker line or anything. It's all done in timing," she said. (See the
link in Resources for many more examples.)
Then there is the amazing Phil Hansen who has written a book,
Tattoo a Banana and whose art ranges from a depiction of Michealangelo’s statue of David using a needle and stick pin as “paint,” to a recreation of the
Mona Lisa in hamburger grease.
I repeat, human ingenuity never ceases to astound me.
The Quirky Facts
Bananas are a great ingredient in bread, muffins, smoothies, and banana splits, but there is much more to them than flavor.
English has numerous expressions about bananas:
- One banana short of a bunch
- Go bananas
- Banana republic
- Make like a banana and split
- 2nd banana, top banana (The only expression with really positive connotations)
- What a load of bananas
- Driving me bananas
There are two well-known songs about bananas: Harry Belafonte’s rendition of “
The Banana Boat” song (Let’s all say, “Day-O!”) and Louis Prima’s, “
Yes, We Have No Bananas,” (but we do have string beans, onions, cabbage, scallions, and much more).
Plus, there is the “almost” banana song – “The Name Game,” where you turn anyone’s name into a rhyme by saying “Bo-nana”:
Katie!
Katie, Katie, bo-ba-tee
Bo-na-na fan-na, fo-fa-nee
Fee fi mo-may-tee
Katie!
There is an
International Banana Museum in Mecca, California that contains 20,000 banana-related items.
If you’re in need of a tangible
banana souvenir, options include the Bananagrams game (like Scrabble without the board) an inflatable pool toy, a flask, bookends, pens, magnets, earrings, erasers, socks, costumes (whole body or just the mask) and much more.
The Question
Is there anything that you “go bananas” over? What?
Featured Product
I wrote an Improv Art blog a few years ago that I am working on turning into an ebook. You can read sample entries on food art
here and
here.
The Quiz
1. The banana tree can grow to a height of 30 feet.
True __ False ___
2. Bananas are berries.
True __ False ___
3. Bananas have a long history (They’re depicted in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs), but today the largest producer is Brazil.
True __ False ___
4. Bananas are naturally slightly radioactive.
True __ False ___
5. Banana plants grow not from seeds, but from bulbs.
True __ False ___
6. Don’t refrigerate bananas because they will turn black or brown.
True __ False ___
7. Some cultures (most notably Japan) use the fiber in the banana plant to make fabric and sometimes even paper.
True __ False ___
8. Thanks to its oil, rubbing the inside of a banana peel on a mosquito bite (or other bug bite) or on poison ivy will help keep it from itching and getting inflamed. It can also reduce pain and swelling from a scrape or burn and help prevent infection.
True __ False ___
The Shameless Request
Please share Wiser Now Wednesday with anyone you think might be interested, and if you represent an organization that would like a customized version, send me a note at
Kathy@WiserNow.com.
Welcome to 
3. False. Bananas are predominantly produced in Asia, Latin America and Africa. Today’s largest producers are India, followed by China.
