Businessman buys photograph of a potato for €1,000,000

[Syt]

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/photography/businessman-buys-photograph-of-a-potato-for-1m-a6831681.html

Businessman buys photograph of a potato for €1m

The picture, originally taken in 2010, is part of a portfolio of images by the acclaimed photographer

A celebrated photographer has sold a picture of an Irish potato for €1m (£750,000).

Kevin Abosch, 46, confirmed he had sold the photograph of an organic potato shot on a black background to an unnamed European businessman.

The photograph, which was taken in 2010, sits alongside shots of Steven Spielberg, Michael Palin, Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg and Malala Yousafzai in the sought-after photographer's portfolio.

Mr Abosch's portraits are typically commissioned for at least £200,000.

There are three versions of the potato print in existence - one belongs in his private collection, another was donated to an art museum in Serbia and the third was sold to the unnamed businessman.

He told the Sunday Times:"It's not the first time that someone has bought the art right off my wall.

"We had two glasses of wine and he said, 'I really like that'. Two more glasses of wine and he said: 'I really want that.'

"We set the price two weeks later. It is the most I have been paid for a piece of work that has been bought [rather than commissioned]."

The Irish photographer's trademark portraits on a black background have been highly sought after among the rich and famous - last week he was invited to the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Mr Abosch said he is not sure what happened to the potato in question - called Potato #345 - as he photographed many for a special series.

[DGuller]

I could've gotten him the real thing for half the price. 

[celedhring]

Thanks to right-click and save image, I now own the same photograph for the price of just a few kilobytes.

[Scipio]

Separating the rich from their money in a clever way is awesome.

[mongers]

Separating the rich from their money in a clever way is awesome.

How does that related to two rich people conspiring in an act of conspicuous consumption?

[Eddie Teach]

Separating the rich from their money in a clever way is awesome.

How does that related to two rich people conspiring in an act of conspicuous consumption?

The photographer got rich by separating rich people from their money, and here he produced what the other guy is consuming.

[The Brain]

You don't eat the photo.

[garbon]

Thanks to right-click and save image, I now own the same photograph for the price of just a few kilobytes.

That's not really how that works.

[garbon]

Separating the rich from their money in a clever way is awesome.

How does that related to two rich people conspiring in an act of conspicuous consumption?

The photographer got rich by separating rich people from their money, and here he produced what the other guy is consuming.

But by the time of this photograph being sold, isn't that then just one rich person given money to another rich person - which is what m said.

[Razgovory]

The photo has sentimental value.  It reminds people of their roots.

[Eddie Teach]

I don't think that is what he said, though it may be what he meant.

[celedhring]

I have little doubt that an artist that is able to sell a photo of a potato for 1 mill is already rich by that point.

[The Minsky Moment]

Chalk it up to excellent sales technique:

"We had two glasses of wine and he said, 'I really like that'. Two more glasses of wine and he said: 'I really want that.'

[DGuller]

That was some pretty expensive wine.

[Razgovory]

Dammit, nobody liked my joke.