Au Revoir Damien

The art of excess for an age of an excess..
A superficial art that shocks for a superficially shocking age.
I think it captured the spirit of that age perfectly.. but now the world has come down to earth with a bump... Tracey is leaving the country to avoid paying 50% tax and Damien now wants to be a painter. I think we can safely say its the end of an era.

Duchamp declared "ideas" art.. and this became "art is anything I/we decide it to be.. and if you aren't one of us and we don't like your art then it isn't art"
I suspect even Duchamp would have grown weary of his joke by now..

I've got in mind a new piece of conceptual art.. its called "Damien's New Paint Shirt". Its got to be great art.. because its about Hirst. I wonder if the era of oiled filled rooms.. soiled bedsheets and half pickled cows as art will be remembered ?

My feeling is it will be the embarrassing art of an embarrassing era.
I think the death knell sounded for Hirst as stock markets crumbled and the world as we knew it fell apart.. while his bejewelled skull became the most expensive art work in the world.

Banksy has stolen Damien's shirt.. the art dealing elite have donned their designer skater outfits and gone all "street".. man !

"Behind this wheely bin is Banksy's tour de force..not since Da Vinci has an artist captured the true essence of.. "

Oh dear "Damien the unconvincing Classicist" is born... I think the Independent article gets the tone just about right.

Its a bit like the Queen piercing her navel and posing with belly exposed.. not what you'd expect.. somewhat disconcerting..(I will resist saying "shocking"). and not likely to be overly appreciated by either admirers and detractors.

I predict Damien will become a recluse and retire to the Bahama's with his millions.. and mumble to anyone willing to listen for the next 30 years about his ignored genius. The cow and the shark will secretly be buried.. or quietly replaced with plastic replica's.

Au Revoir Damien

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