Antonio Henrique Amaral
Momento de plátano
1972
Oil on canvas
141 x 197.5 cm
FEMSA Collection
At first glance, Momento de plátano seems to be simply a representation of the fruit. However, this banana expresses itself in its own way; the spotting on the peel clues us into its stage in life and whether it is suitable for consumption.
Fruits, in an artistic context, are usually representations of cultural symbols. In this case, Amaral uses the banana to represent the concept of a “banana republic,” a phrase used in the mid-20th century by economically and politically dominant countries to refer to nations with unstable policies and whose economies depended mainly on natural resources such as bananas. Thus, in Amaral’s painting, this fruit can be understood as an object in a maturation stage and also as a symbol of work, dominance, commerce, politics, instability, abuse, and injustice.
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