Banter Bites

Banksy – Going, Going, Gone?!

Normally, you shred important papers before trashing them … not expensive art after selling it.

BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Red will admit that she's never been into art, except for the Tudor paintings section of the National Portrait Gallery in London, but that's because she loves Tudor history. And although she's been to plenty of art museums, they were more to "tick off" places on her tourist "to do" list than a genuine desire to see the art. That even includes the Mona Lisa at The Louvre in Paris! (When in Paris, Black was content to go to the Louvre-Rivoli Metro station as the platforms themselves were decorated with art replicas found inside the Louvre Museum.)

Black can't remember when she first became interested in contemporary art, although it went to a whole new level when her second husband asked her to acquire an investment-quality collection. In typical Black fashion, she not only researched the art market and worked with an art consultant, but became friends with several leading artists with whom she shared a mutual passion … cars and racing.


And, although the marriage did not last, and all the art was ultimately sold at auction (except for what she purchased from her ex), Black continued to follow the market. She was fascinated by the well-known, but mysterious, street artist Banksy, who made headlines in 2018 when his popular piece Girl With Balloon was purchased at a Sotheby's auction for $1.4 million. But Black explained to Red that it wasn't the price that made it so famous,

Literally, as the hammer fell, it quickly became "performance art" as part of the painting passed through a hidden shredder, leaving everyone shocked and speechless. It was pure Banksy genius. The anonymous purchaser proceeded with the sale (I cannot help but wonder if they were "in" on it) and ended up with a piece of art history.

That was an understatement, as the piece (renamed Love Is In The Bin) went on tour, and then on Thursday evening, it came up for auction again at Sotheby's and sold for $24.5 million, a record for the artist and close to 20 times its pre-shredded price. Meanwhile, Red couldn't help but think,

I may not "understand" contemporary art, but I respect not only its ingenuity and creativity but how it proves that "art is in the eye of the beholder." How you look at something can make all the difference. Because while I might have seen something destroyed, Black probably saw something created. And in that, there's a huge life lesson.

This is one of Red’s favorite Banter Bites in large part because of Black’s “corny” puns, but also because fresh corn is a summer staple – whether cooked on the grill or in the microwave, whether eaten on its own or as a primary ingredient in refreshing summer salads


This may be one of the corniest things you’ll ever read.

BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: It’s just a vegetable, so how can it possibly elicit such a strong reaction from Red, while, for Black, it’s more a source of amusement and even, it turns out, admiration?

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Think you can avoid artificial intelligence? Think again …

BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Red already fights technology at every turn, preferring to keep her ostrich head in the sand, plus, she finds Artificial Intelligence (AI) scary; whereas Black knows ignoring reality merely postpones the inevitable, so she’s started playing with AI to understand it better …

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A man better known for his death than his life, although Red, the straight-A student and history lover, immediately thinks of the costly and controversial movie of his life. (Well, technically, it was the life of Cleopatra.) Black, of course, focuses on business – leadership lessons, including the power of words, although she surprises Red with some food trivia. But the fact July’s named after him is the perfect excuse to rerun one of Red’s favorite Banter Bites …

Quick! If someone says "Julius Caesar," what comes to mind?

BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Almost everyone has heard of Julius Caesar, but how many of us really know much about him, or at least that's what Red starts to wonder when she receives the usual flippant, but still accurate, reply from her sister, after feeling very proud that she knew that July was named after the famous Roman.

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