Banana
The Banana Cartoons
The banana cartoons have been in a few different art shows and the banana guy himself has even been made into a working light fixture. Although I wouldn’t hang it.Illustration
The History
I took a silkscreen course and made a large run of banana cartoon prints. I took one into a local framer who suggested we do a show, and I said sure let’s do 50 different banana cartoons. Pressed with a daunting task I devised the banana to be like that old Looney Toons frog. He could just appear anywhere. After a few art shows I made a book and printed a small run. I sent a bunch of books to a bunch of publishers who all wrote me back explaining that I didn’t have an actual story they don’t understand the premise and they’ll be rejecting this idea. This is still, by far, the best set of reactions I could have hoped for.
Project Details
Client: ME
While at: Home
Date: 2009 - 2010
The Banana pieces were my first trudge through mass producing watercolours. I set them up in a train and went through five or so at a time with one colour. By the time I got to the caboose, the colour on the engine would be dry and the next colour could be applied.
It took a heck of a long time to actually get through all the painting and all the inking could only be completed when the painting was done, so I left them in the raw painted state for a long time, and was delighted once the finish of ink was added.