Art Will Prevail
The ‘raised fist’ has been a symbol of resistance, solidarity, and power since Honoré Daumier's 1848 painting, ‘The Uprising’. In it, workers protest for change, with one figure in the foreground emphatically raising their fist in the air.
This punchy sculpture from Whatshisname depicts a raised fist tightly gripping a banana, a familiar icon throughout art history. Often referenced by artists such as Andy Warhol and most recently by the Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, whose banana attached to a gallery wall with duct tape sold for $5.2m at Sotheby’s New York, the use of fruit within the context of modern art can be reflective of different reasons but it’s often portrayed as a symbol of what’s both mundane and proactive.
A paradoxical portrayal, it is both strong and fragile, elegant and stocky, shiny and plain, cartoonish and realistic. The banana is displayed in a reflective, metallic gold finish, creating a stark contrast with the matte hand.
The ‘fist of rebellion’, as he refers to it, has appeared in Whatshisname’s work for many years, beginning as a motif in his first Gone series in 2017. Now an artwork in its own right, the porcelain sculpture was two years in production.
Porcelain is a tricky material for artists to work with because it’s delicate, dries quickly and requires moisture while you work with it. Whatshisname spent several attempts getting the fist to wrist ratio just right.
Find out more about Whatshisname or alternatively shop more art here.
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Description
The ‘raised fist’ has been a symbol of resistance, solidarity, and power since Honoré Daumier's 1848 painting, ‘The Uprising’. In it, workers protest for change, with one figure in the foreground emphatically raising their fist in the air.
This punchy sculpture from Whatshisname depicts a raised fist tightly gripping a banana, a familiar icon throughout art history. Often referenced by artists such as Andy Warhol and most recently by the Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, whose banana attached to a gallery wall with duct tape sold for $5.2m at Sotheby’s New York, the use of fruit within the context of modern art can be reflective of different reasons but it’s often portrayed as a symbol of what’s both mundane and proactive.
A paradoxical portrayal, it is both strong and fragile, elegant and stocky, shiny and plain, cartoonish and realistic. The banana is displayed in a reflective, metallic gold finish, creating a stark contrast with the matte hand.
The ‘fist of rebellion’, as he refers to it, has appeared in Whatshisname’s work for many years, beginning as a motif in his first Gone series in 2017. Now an artwork in its own right, the porcelain sculpture was two years in production.
Porcelain is a tricky material for artists to work with because it’s delicate, dries quickly and requires moisture while you work with it. Whatshisname spent several attempts getting the fist to wrist ratio just right.
Find out more about Whatshisname or alternatively shop more art here.
