Just a Modern Guy

Banana - Andy Warhol - 1966

While reflecting on the work and life of Andy Warhol, who was born 80 years ago today, I got to thinking about Pop Art in general.

My first exposure to Pop Art was just before I turned 6 years old in 1964. My father was given a “gag gift” for his birthday of a plastic banana taped to piece of cardboard which had been framed. I remember he opened the gift and looked at it with a puzzled look on his face until the gift-giver told him it was a work of “pop art” and surely would be worth a fortune someday. The adults at the party all broke into laughter.

The “art” was promptly hung on the den wall where it stayed for a few years.

I loved that piece. I was as intrigued as a six year old could be as to what “pop art” was and what a banana on a piece of cardboard had to do with it. I even made a few of my own, browbeating my mother into buying me some plastic fruit at the old Bazaar Department Store in Huntington so could I make some similar works with plastic apples and even one with grapes.

While that being Pop Art (or even art) or not may be arguable. But what I was creating was certainly art to me at the time and I have never forgotten it.

It was a good number of years later before I ever heard of anyone named Andy Warhol. In fact, he painted his first banana in 1966. I am not sure my father and his friend had even heard of Warhol yet when the plastic banana art was created. I do remember being completely exstatic seeing my first Warhol banana. It immediately took me back to that old plastic banana taped to the cardboard from years before.

I guess it was Pop Art.

Anyway, that is where thinking about Andy Warhol’s birthday took me today. I wish Andy were still around - I’d send him a plastic banana.

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