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I think a lot of modern artworks are just total crap, but Damien Hirst's is undoubtedly the worst of the lot! Bisected animals!? Ugly statues of pregnant women!? A rotting cow's head covered in flies!?!! Nobody will ever convince me that his work is anything except ugly, disgusting, vile utter crap! What do you think?
His spin and spot paintings annoy me. I don't think it's art. I struggle to see Mondrian's neo-Plasticism as art, too although it's now well accepted.
I remember reading how Hirst's bisected cow was supposed to represent the separation of death whilst also being itself a dead animal. I appreciate the concept but I also think he's gone out for notoriety to make money. In that way, he's abusing the art world. Vitrifying a tiger shark, for instance? It's not art. It's closer to taxidermy.
I have similar feelings about Tracey Emin's work. I think the "Young British Artists" are misnamed. Many of them aren't young and many of them haven't given any indication that they are artists. All they are is British (and very rich from what they've peddled). I think they may actually have become interesting artists had there not been the lure of fame and money.
I think it's art insofar as it probably has a meaning of sorts. It can be ugly, disgusting and vile (and it is in my opinion too), but it's still art. Art is usually meant to illicit a strong emotional reaction, and Damien Hurst's does for me, you and a lot of other people (even if that reaction is an uncomfortable one). That makes it no less "art".
In that sense I guess I think it's good as art. That doesn't mean I have to like it though! :S
That's a very good point. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it could be seen as art even if it isn't beautiful, because it's destruction is artistic because it's a creative expression. I can't really counter the rest of what you've said though. Surprisingly astute thought :)
True art is something you create. Not something that has happened in nature. To cut off a cows head is not to make a cow. The cow was made by something else. So this is cheating in a way. The art world is really not fair. Artists who are truly talented will never get in a museum. Yet shit like a chopped off cow head will be considered art by supposed artists. Something a preschooler can make would be considered worth billions. It all goes to exposure and money. The art world is a joke and many real artist will never get recognized for the work they do.