Tuesday 19 June 2007

Indeed


Damien Hirst, him of the dead-animals-in-formaldehyde fame, had a new exhibition last week, Beyond Belief. Among the items on exhibit, this little skull, called "For the Love of God", which is
..without precedent in the history of art. On one level, the work is a traditional ‘Memento Mori’, an object that addresses the transience of human existence. ‘The skull is out of this world, celestial almost’ writes the distinguished art historian Rudi Fuchs. ‘It proclaims victory over decay. At the same time’, Fuchs continues, ‘it represents death as something infinitely more relentless. Compared to the tearful sadness of a vanitas scene, the diamond skull is glory itself’.
Me, I think it's beyond belief that people lap up this stuff.

More from ABC News:
"For the Love of God" is a life-size cast of a human skull in platinum and covered by 8,601 pave-set diamonds weighing 1,106.18 carats. The single large diamond in the middle of the forehead is reportedly worth $4.2 million alone. Hirst financed the project himself, and estimates it cost between 10 and 15 million. Of course, it will cost someone a pretty penny to own the work: It's priced at $99 million.
Ooh. Cleber pricing. This doesn't sound anything as expensive as $100 million.

As the chap in the gallery clip said, "it proclaims victory over common sense." Or something.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

sounds a bit like indian television or films. the moment you put a bad show with a celeb on --- you will get great budgets . do the same with talent -- and there are no takers :(

Anonymous said...

what a waste of diamonds...