A duct-taped banana artwork recently garnered widespread attention, selling for an impressive $6.3 million at Sotheby’s in New York, after which it was eaten by Chinese cryptocurrency tycoon Justin Sun.
Now, a new extraordinary artwork, a blank “pure white” canvas by American artist Robert Ryman is set to hit the auction block in Germany.
As per the New York Post, the artwork valued at over $1.5 million, titled “General 52” x 52” in reference to its dimension, will be showcased for art collectors at Berlin’s Ketterer Kunst auction house on December 6 and 7.
Though the canvas appears blank, it is actually coated with white enamel and enamelac, materials commonly used for metal surfaces.
The auction house said in a statement, "The material is very sensitive and the smallest traces in the flawless surface would immediately reduce the value of the work significantly. That's why we are not sending it on a journey."
In the meantime, Simone Wichmann, an expert at Ketterer Kunst said, “White is not always white. The white color makes light, movement and the structure of the material visible. The viewer is challenged and becomes the creator of the art.”
Ryman, who died in 2019 at the age of 88, was famous for his experimental artwork, often characterized by its lack of colour and featuring stark white tones.
