111 million pounds. No, not the amount the government made today on fuel tax but the amount Damian Hirst has made over two days selling his artwork, produced over the past two years, making him the King of Contemporary British Art. Cutting out the dealers and selling straight to the open market ensured Hirst of a serious amount of cash that he would not normally have seen. Some of his usual dealers were doing some of the bidding - White Cube being one who managed to purchase 'Here Today, gone Tomorrow'.
When Hirst first emerged in the early to mid nineties I remember not being that impressed by his work thinking it to be over hyped, ripped off and unimpressive... then I went to Art School and a visit to the Tate Modern in London, 1997 changed my mind. His piece, Pharmacy, a life size recreation of a Chemist shop had been installed at the time. It was then I realised how wrong I had been! His work, is intelligent, daring, emotive and largely quite dark in it's themes. Something I appreciate now in his work more than ever. The audacity of the things he does just scuppers everyone else. From cutting animals in half and preserving them in formaldehyde to covering a human skull in 8,601 diamonds. Each piece very different but each about life, death, it's riches and shortcomings.
Contrastingly, the winner of the Jerwood Drawing Prize was announced today as Warren Baldwin for his 'Study for Portrait' pencil and charcoal piece. A slightly more traditional piece than anything cut open and preserved in formaldehyde but just as worthy for any prize... obviously just not 111 million. Some would say it should be worth more than the mere six thousand pounds it did win.
When Hirst first emerged in the early to mid nineties I remember not being that impressed by his work thinking it to be over hyped, ripped off and unimpressive... then I went to Art School and a visit to the Tate Modern in London, 1997 changed my mind. His piece, Pharmacy, a life size recreation of a Chemist shop had been installed at the time. It was then I realised how wrong I had been! His work, is intelligent, daring, emotive and largely quite dark in it's themes. Something I appreciate now in his work more than ever. The audacity of the things he does just scuppers everyone else. From cutting animals in half and preserving them in formaldehyde to covering a human skull in 8,601 diamonds. Each piece very different but each about life, death, it's riches and shortcomings.
Contrastingly, the winner of the Jerwood Drawing Prize was announced today as Warren Baldwin for his 'Study for Portrait' pencil and charcoal piece. A slightly more traditional piece than anything cut open and preserved in formaldehyde but just as worthy for any prize... obviously just not 111 million. Some would say it should be worth more than the mere six thousand pounds it did win.
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