World

Man buys photograph of organic potato for €1 million

Kevin Abosch, 46, says he sold the photograph to an unnamed European businessman

News Desk January 26, 2016

PHOTO: THE INDEPENDENT

A celebrated photographer has sold a photograph of an Irish potato for €1 million.

Kevin Abosch, 46, said he had sold the photograph of an organic potato shot on a black canvas to an unnamed European businessman. Taken in 2010, the photograph sits alongside shots of Steven Spielberg, Michael Palin, Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg and Malala Yousafzai in the sought-after photographer's portfolio.

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

There are three versions of the potato print in existence, one which belongs in the photographer's private collection, another which was donated to an art museum and a third which was sold to the European businessman.

"It's not the first time that someone has bough the art right off my wall," Abosch told the Sunday Times.

"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'".

According to the photographer, the price was set 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, and just last week he was invited to the World Economic Forum being held in Davos.

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After photographing the potato, Abosch said he is not sure what happened to the potato in the portrait, called Potato #345, as he photographed many for a special series.

Many took to Twitter, surprised by the sale of the photograph.

https://twitter.com/jimgoldstein/status/690036293380804608