We wanted to find out more about this unique craft; that’s why we decided to contact Stephan and ask him some questions. First, we wanted to know what the artist’s initial reaction was when he discovered the potential of banana peels as a medium for his art. We learned that: “In the very beginning, it was more about how pleasant the experience was, a ballpoint pen moves so smoothly across a banana peel. But because it would be boring to draw the same thing over and over again, it became a daily creative challenge to see what else I could draw on a banana. To make it even more interesting, I started to find subjects to draw that would fit the shape of a banana perfectly. And much later on that led to my breakthrough technique of utilizing the banana peel by cutting into it.”
Asked how he comes up with new ideas for the banana sculptures, Brusche said: “I usually draw things that I like personally. And I’ve always been fascinated by animals, so drawing animals was born out of that fascination. Animals come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, so there is enough to be inspired by also. The Bible is something I grew up with and stuck with me as a firm foundation for my personal beliefs. It’s also connected with a lot of iconic historical art pieces that used the Bible as inspiration. To use those as inspiration is a way to pay homage to both the artist and the Biblical stories. I also like to take iconic images that are known all over the world and give my spin on them through my banana art. Because I love art in a broader sense, it doesn’t stop with the paintings (old or new) but also extends to music, movies, and comics. So that’s why you can also come across a lot of pop culture figures.”
The artist was kind enough to describe the creative process behind his work: “An idea can pop up in different ways. Sometimes it’s the shape of the banana that inspires me, like with my version of Klimt’s ‘The Kiss’. I saw two bananas in the supermarket, one bigger than the other and it just reminded me of that wonderful painting. That both the banana and the painting are yellow must have helped too. I then usually sketch out the idea, just pen and paper doodles. Sometimes I would also take a photo of the banana I want to draw on and open the photo in Photoshop to sketch out the idea there to get the composition right before I start drawing on the actual banana. Because when I draw on the banana, it has to be all right in one go, I can’t use an eraser to fix things.”
Stephan added: “But when I’m doing banana art for an event I get requests and don’t have the time to do all that. So then I just start and hope for the best!”
We were wondering what challenges Brusche usually faces when working with bananas. The artist shared with us: “Time can be a factor, if it takes to long to draw everything there is a risk that the part I started drawing will turn from yellow to more brownish. The solution for that is a simple one, don’t linger too much while drawing and get it all done in one go. The same goes for cutting away pieces of the peel. When the white of the banana is not protected by the peel there is a limited time to get a good photograph of it. I have to think ahead and already have everything set up correctly to get that photograph. So good preparation is also an important thing.”
Lastly, we were curious which of the bananas Stephan created is his personal favorite. The artist told us: “I have 3 or 4 personal favorites, it depends on the day which one I will pick as an answer to this question. Today it’s ‘The Creation of Adam’ after Michelangelo’s masterpiece. The reasons are more than one. It’s one out of the first batch of banana art pieces I made after I started cutting away pieces of the peel. It perfectly combines my faith and love of art and creativity. For me it captures the moment not only of the creation of mankind but also the moment the Creator passes on the ability to create, to be creative.”
