Comments on: Letter from London: Hirst Among Equals http://blog.art21.org/2008/09/15/letter-from-london-hirst-among-equals/ The Official Blog of Art21, Inc. and the Art in the Twenty-First Century PBS series Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:14:52 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Letter from London: Face Value | Art21 Blog http://blog.art21.org/2008/09/15/letter-from-london-hirst-among-equals/comment-page-1/#comment-11007 Letter from London: Face Value | Art21 Blog Mon, 06 Apr 2009 10:01:33 +0000 http://blog.art21.org/2008/09/15/letter-from-london-hirst-among-equals/#comment-11007 [...] stability is an illusion perpetuated by those who stand to gain from it, something made literal in Damien Hirst’s most recent work (the diamond-studded skull, the gold-hoofed calf). It’s hard not to see that work in particular [...] [...] stability is an illusion perpetuated by those who stand to gain from it, something made literal in Damien Hirst’s most recent work (the diamond-studded skull, the gold-hoofed calf). It’s hard not to see that work in particular [...]

]]> By: Pound for Pound | Art21 Blog http://blog.art21.org/2008/09/15/letter-from-london-hirst-among-equals/comment-page-1/#comment-8585 Pound for Pound | Art21 Blog Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:37:32 +0000 http://blog.art21.org/2008/09/15/letter-from-london-hirst-among-equals/#comment-8585 [...] from Robert Hughes’ evisceration of the “simple-minded” works to Ben Street’s less fuming Letter from London. Guardian writer Carol Jacobi even chimes in that Hirst is merely following in the footsteps of the [...] [...] from Robert Hughes’ evisceration of the “simple-minded” works to Ben Street’s less fuming Letter from London. Guardian writer Carol Jacobi even chimes in that Hirst is merely following in the footsteps of the [...]

]]> By: Tuesday Links : Body Language: The Presence and Absence of Cindy Sherman and Sherrie Levine http://blog.art21.org/2008/09/15/letter-from-london-hirst-among-equals/comment-page-1/#comment-8456 Tuesday Links : Body Language: The Presence and Absence of Cindy Sherman and Sherrie Levine Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:22:09 +0000 http://blog.art21.org/2008/09/15/letter-from-london-hirst-among-equals/#comment-8456 [...] Street, “Letter From London: Hirst Among Equals” (PBS: art21) Street provides a look into the recent Sotheby’s auction on September 15, [...] [...] Street, “Letter From London: Hirst Among Equals” (PBS: art21) Street provides a look into the recent Sotheby’s auction on September 15, [...]

]]> By: Tom Juneau http://blog.art21.org/2008/09/15/letter-from-london-hirst-among-equals/comment-page-1/#comment-8369 Tom Juneau Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:32:12 +0000 http://blog.art21.org/2008/09/15/letter-from-london-hirst-among-equals/#comment-8369 Without wanting to enter the thicket of gardening morality (sorry!) - the most suitable analogy for this hirst auction is a bindweed growing up the trunk of an established tree and into its canopy. From a distance the luxuriant flowers that bloom amongst the tree's leaves seem to be the tree's own flowers; a naive onlooker would suppose that it was an exotic variety in rude health, and maybe retire to the summerhouse to pen a sonnet on the unexpected bounty of the english garden. In fact the bind weed - an insubstantial annual (which will die back in the autumn) is exploiting the ancient strength of it's less flamboyant host. Hirst, like 'Bodyworlds', Christo, Banksy, etc. is dependent on an established structure, which their weedy lifeforce lacks the longevity and sustained resolve to build for themselves. Even the distinctive + repetitive costume worn by Hirst (motorcycle jacket, boggle-eyed shades) in front of the cameras over the course of the hyping of the auction has been learnt from Beuys and Warhol. So I would agree with you ben when you say that hirst might be a 'gateway drug' drawing the linensuited towny down the garden path to have a closer look. Hirst, like banksy, does not threaten the art world because he will die away in the next cycle of opinion. By the way - all reports on the sale stress that it made more than its £65 million lower estimate. This is UNTRUE - it made £ 70.5 million including 12% buyers' premium which means it made ONLY just over £ 62 million. So much for the crowed-over transparency of the auction room compared with the supposed murky elitism of the gallery system. Without wanting to enter the thicket of gardening morality (sorry!) – the most suitable analogy for this hirst auction is a bindweed growing up the trunk of an established tree and into its canopy. From a distance the luxuriant flowers that bloom amongst the tree’s leaves seem to be the tree’s own flowers; a naive onlooker would suppose that it was an exotic variety in rude health, and maybe retire to the summerhouse to pen a sonnet on the unexpected bounty of the english garden.

In fact the bind weed – an insubstantial annual (which will die back in the autumn) is exploiting the ancient strength of it’s less flamboyant host. Hirst, like ‘Bodyworlds’, Christo, Banksy, etc. is dependent on an established structure, which their weedy lifeforce lacks the longevity and sustained resolve to build for themselves. Even the distinctive + repetitive costume worn by Hirst (motorcycle jacket, boggle-eyed shades) in front of the cameras over the course of the hyping of the auction has been learnt from Beuys and Warhol.

So I would agree with you ben when you say that hirst might be a ‘gateway drug’ drawing the linensuited towny down the garden path to have a closer look. Hirst, like banksy, does not threaten the art world because he will die away in the next cycle of opinion.

By the way – all reports on the sale stress that it made more than its £65 million lower estimate. This is UNTRUE – it made £ 70.5 million including 12% buyers’ premium which means it made ONLY just over £ 62 million. So much for the crowed-over transparency of the auction room compared with the supposed murky elitism of the gallery system.

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