Why This Photo of a Potato Sold for More Than $1 Million

[Blue_Tires]

A photo of an Irish potato taken by a world-famous visual artist has sold for more than $1 million.

The photo of the potato against a black background was taken by Kevin Abosch, a visual artist who has photographed Malala Yousafza, Yoko Ono and others.

While Abosch usually gets half a million dollars for his portraits, the photograph of the potato stood out to a European businessman who purchased it after seeing it at the artist’s Paris home.

A spokesperson for Abosch confirmed the photograph was sold for 1 million euros, or $1,086,810 U.S. dollars.

was taken at Abosch's Dublin home. A smaller version of the print is owned by Abosch and an even smaller version is in the Museum of Contemporary Art Novi Sad in Serbia, Abosch's spokesperson said.

Abosch declined to be interviewed by ABC News but said in a statement that he uses the potato “as a proxy for the ontological study of the human experience.”

“I see commonalities between humans and potatoes that speak to our relationship as individuals within a collective species,” he said. “Generally, the life of a harvested potato is violent and taken for granted.”

https://gma.yahoo.com/why-photo-potato-sold-more-1-million-180643464--abc-news-personal-finance.html?nwltr=abcn_tco#

Because ART, goddamnit!

[NightWatcher]

1. It was sold for so much to see if it could be sold for that much

Somewhere in the back (or front) of the photog's mind, if he's honest, he's giggling that the fool was willing to separate from so much of his money for a picture of a spud.

But hey, once I was so stoned that I bought a ukulele off ebay for $60.

[Xyzse]

5. What was the Uke?

I currently have only 2, but I was going to buy a Balalaika from ebay, but I stopped using paypal so I put on the brakes.

[NightWatcher]

6. I have no idea, it's brown and has a case

I've played it for a total of an hour in 6 years.

[Xyzse]

10. Oooh ooh... Piccy?

Depending on what it is, I may just buy it from you...

I am kinda on the market for another one which I can convert in to a Low E...

I kid around, but I am looking for another one.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. Because people are suckers

and they are paying for the name of the Famous Photographer, not the photograph. It would be like buying one of GWB's awful oil paintings - the painting sucks but the painter is famous. I will say, though, that the potato photo is better as "art" than W's oeuvre.

[Bucky]

9. I think the properly analogy is...

buying a painting made by Dubya would be the same as buying a painting made by a potato.

[KamaAina]

3. Who bought it? Dan Quayle?

[hibbing]

4. ba da ding!

[mackerel]

7. I could go for some hash and eggs right now.

[Xyzse]

8. I saw a comment which I wanted to reply to...

Thankfully I don't have a yahoo account any more, and so I didn't.

Joe 37 minutes ago
0 👎 1 👍
99% percent of professional artists are liberals. I rest my case.

While I was going to say something about the ones that buy them are the rich conservatives dumb enough to think that it would make them look cool.

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Of course, I was not going to post that, since there are valid reasons to buy art.
Much of it though, in my opinion is by name and marketing for some.