Can nobody see the wood for the trees?
July 23rd, 2008Damien Hirst’s conceptual one liner is a tool that he uses to create work with a high selling value. A thin verneer that he uses to hide the real reason he creates art these days. He is like an aged rock star who keeps producing crap singles long after the other band members have given up. And it is all most probably fueled by a burning desire to expand the conservatory in his mansion to encompass a football pitch or something.
The news that Hirst has decided to cut out the middleman by exhibiting his work at Sotheby’s and therefore going straight to sale is no surprise to me.
According to the Art Newspaper (http://www.theartnewspaper.com/article.asp?id=8164): Sotheby’s Senior International Specialist Oliver Barker claims that the sale has “the wholehearted support of Damien’s dealers…who recognise his rulebreaking charisma.”
Eh hrmm. Does someone smell a dissected rat preserved in formaldehyde?
Bet the galleries ain’t too happy either.
What Hirst is doing these days is not art. It is making money. And possibly a little bit of a PR stunt too. Yes Hirst’s art was rulebreaking. But now it is money making.
It is also ‘old hat’, as my grandmother would say (possibly, although it could be so ‘old hat’ she might actually like it). I guarantee that this new exhibition will be a slightly jigged-about repetition of his other work. There will be little refreshing, original or exciting content about it. Okay okay, I might have to eat my hat (enough about hats). But this is my prediction.
The diamond skull that I viewed in a private setting alongside Jeffrey Archer, (woops name dropping again!) is a perfect example of this.
And now my rant is over, back to the art.
cartoon: http://www.chrismadden.co.uk/
Tags: 2008, Art market, Conceptual Art, Contemporary Art, Damien Hirst, Damien Hirst exhibiton at Sotheby's, Sotheby's, The Art Sleuth likes, YBAs
July 23rd, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Well said!
July 23rd, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Excellent cartoon! And you’re right on target with comments concerning Hirst. Why not include Saatchi & the rest of the YBAs?
And Jeffrey Archer! Cool.
MadSilence
September 17th, 2008 at 12:45 am
Just goes to show that being stupid is no impediment to being rich, and vice versa.
Exactly who would folk out 20 million quid for one of his lame vitrines and mocked-up mythical animals? Even if you were really into the concept (or
Conceptual Art generally) this is still late, lazy and and overwhelmingly D U M B!
Maybe it’s meant to lather ‘conceptual’ in some new and generous coating of irony.
Me - I’d rather donate my 20 to Santiago Sierra - If I’m going conceptual I’m taking ideological with me.