Yes, we have some bananas

This art has some real a-peel :)

On my unending quest for unique art for Mesmerizing Medium Monday, I have run into TONS of ideas, some interesting but some, well, I just was surprised to uncover.  Today I'll showcase one of the latter cases as I explore, for your pleasure, Banana Oxidation Art.  No joke!  The example on the left shows a cute "Banana Tattoo" as they are also referred to.  This is probably what I would be capable of doing if I tried it (oh, which I will at some point in time!).  However, there are some super-talented artists out on the loose that can design their yellow fruits into true beautiful but

  

fleeting masterpieces. 

These art pieces are created by speeding up the natural oxidation process (that's why a banana turns brown) of the banana by poking it with a sharp object such as a needle.  Basically (very basically!) the banana browns as the cell membranes break down and all sorts of fun chemical reactions that I don't quite understand happen.  By jabbing at the fruit you are rupturing those membranes and hastening the process in the name of Art.  The video to the right gives you the basic idea of how to accomplish this skin manipulation.  The following link helps explain all the technicalities, complete with a cool diagram, of the browning process for those interested...

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Banana-Oxidation-Art-How-to-Tattoo-a-/

I saved the best for last.  The real-deal-peel (sorry, hard for me to resist a corny pun) at the left is by a Japanese artist, End Cape, who spends up to five hours performing acupuncture-ish techniques to the curved fruit.  Really, who would've imagined an artistic expression such as this.  Here is a link to check out more of his pin-prick art form...

http://www.odditycentral.com/art/banana-tattooing-an-increasingly-popular-art-form.html

Maybe you'll give this bizarrely beautiful craft a try, as will I.  As long as you are careful not to poke into the skin too deep, you'll be able to eat the innards when your handiwork fades away.  All in all, it's a pretty nifty way to get creative as the materials are cheap and afterwards you can delve into another culinary work of art...the Banana Split!