Not Getting It (or $433 a Can)

Illustration by Dominic Vidal

In 1961, artist Piero Manzoni filled ninety tin cans with his own shit and fifty-five years later one of those shit-filled cans has sold for $275,000, while the other cans continue to make appearances in museums all over the world.   

In 2019, artist Maurizio Cattelan sold a banana, taped to a wall, for $120,000.

I don’t get why these things happen.

If you google “John Cage’s 4’33” and read the articles about him, you might react with awe, anticipation, even admiration, for the man many dub a genius. “Cage transformed the art of music, and the art of listening, irrevocably”, says one N.P.R article.

I read something like that and think: Shit, I'd want to meet that guy.

However, type “John Cage’s 4’33” into YouTube and your perspective might change. To save some precious minutes of your life I will tell you what you will see: A person will sit in front of a piano and won’t play a single note for four minutes and thirty-three seconds.

That’s it. That’s what supposedly changed music forever. Doesn’t sound very groundbreaking to me. Actually, it sounds a lot like a scam. That poor audience. Imagine explaining to your co-workers the next day:

“So how was the concert last night?”

“Great!”

“What did he play?”

“Not a god damn note.”

Your co-workers would think you were an idiot. I know I would. So, what exactly does 4’33” prove? That under the guise of art anything can be consider exceptional? That if you have celebrity you can sell anything, even nothing?

Where do we draw the line? How abstract is too abstract? And if there is no line, and there is no such thing as too abstract, can somebody please tell me where I can sell my feces?

Starting price: $433 a can.

Nick Vidal is an Afro-Latino writer from Harlem, New York. His work consists mainly of non-fiction and poetry. He recently graduated from City College of New York, earning a B.A. in English. He loves hip-hop, over-priced sneakers and cats. @Daydrinkingdave