From 4 April until 9 September 2012, a large-scale retrospective of the work of artist Damien Hirst will be on display at London’s Tate Modern.
The exhibition will feature pieces selected from his entire 20-year output, including iconic installations such as “ The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living 1991″ which, for the unitiated, is a 14 foot tiger shark steeped in formaldehyde, the medicine cabinets and the associated ‘Pharmacy’ work which would transform a restaurant in Notting Hill, and the two-part In and Out of Love; the split cow, the constituent parts of which haven’t been seen together since 1991.
It goes without saying that there will also be acres of Hirst’s controversial spot pictures on show. In fact, in an interview with Andrew Marr earlier in the year David Hockney renewed his criticism of Hirst in a statement saying that his use of assistants in creating these works was “a little insulting to craftsmen, skilful craftsmen.”.
Whatever your views of Hirst, I’m sure that this new exhibition will be a real crowd-pleaser. Tickets are available now priced at £14, however Tate Members get free entry.
March 27, 2012 at 9:41 am
Got thoroughly stuck into Damien Hirst’s stuff whilst studying art A-level Pete. And although he doesn’t actually use his own hands to craft his work any more, they’ll no doubt be stacks of people queuing up at the Tate to see this…myself included.
March 27, 2012 at 10:08 am
Well I didn’t think I could let this exhibition pass without mentioning it on the blog – it’s a big event and I can’t ignore it – but I don’t really ‘get’ Hirst to be honest. I have very warm feelings for Tracey Emin, Marcus Harvey, Grayson Perry and the like but Damien Hirst leaves me cold – I find his work clinical and inhuman… perhaps that says more about me than it does about him.
March 28, 2012 at 8:03 am
I guess that is just the reaction Hirst wants – for his audience to, as you say, not really ‘get’ his stuff.
The man has got it all worked out and I admire his shrewd nature in cashing in on the whole ‘what is art’ theme: he must be laughing as he looks out over his vast Toddington Manor country retreat!
Got to love the shark in formaldehyde!
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March 28, 2012 at 10:20 am
I think that’s what I was getting at – feeling cold towards a particular artist’s work is a legitimate emotion… whether that’s what the artist intended or not.