Damien Steven Hirst

Damien Steven Hirst

Damien Steven Hirst is an English artist and the most prominent member of the group known as "Young British Artists", he dominated the art scene in Britain during the 1990s. He is well known for his contemporary art and has been claimed to be 'the richest living artist to date' according to Wikipedia.

His work became iconic in Britain, including dead animals (a shark, a sheep and a cow) preserved and sometimes dissected, e.g. "The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living" , works in which the themes centered Death.

One of his recent works, from 2007, a diamond encrusted skull, “For the Love of God”, was a product of Hirst’s, estimated to be worth more than $50 million, (maybe even $100 million) and is said to come from the skeleton of a man who lived between 1720 and 1810, a 35 year old man from Europe.
It had taken 18 months to have the skull fully covered in 8,601 diamonds, with the teeth as an exception, for it to be fully ready to be displayed.
As said by Wikipedia the skull was inspired by when Hirst's mother had asked "for the love of god, what are you going to do next?"

Mercantilism in the Renaissance era was when wealth had been measured by your possession of gold, silver and other precious metal as such. Aspects of the Mercantilism ideas and the increase of Damien Hirsts status is evident through this particular piece, as it is counted as one of the most expensive pieces of art so far, heightening or elevating his status as a high class contemporary artist.

This art work is now held at the White Cube gallery in London, this work costs fourteen million pounds ($30.4m NZD) to make, and was sold for fifty million pounds ($108m NZD)

"I think most people would agree that their skulls are a priceless asset. But what artist Damien Hirst has done to the following skull has actually made a nondescript skull into one of the most expensive pieces of art ever."

Referencing: http://anthropology.net/2007/06/01/damien-hirsts-diamond-encrusted-skull-jeweled-skulls-in-archaeology/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damien_Hirst

Three Triennial Artists

Shahab Fotouhi

-when first approaching the neon lights in such an open space, it felt like the archway was more of an entrance to a place of peace and serenity. It felt calm and like a hypnotized insect you feel somewhat fascinated and engrossed by the "glowing trail". This is what first caught my attention to the sculpture. However when acknowledging the theme and the looped video that accompanies Fotouhi's sculpture, i found the work both humorous yet daunting, with thinking this may be an interpretation of a "doorway to peace" when really such imagery can be seen as a hint to the brutal ruthlessness to come to Iran. The irony and the contrast amused me.





Shilpa Gupta

The "singing cloud" when seen, doesn't give the impression of something light and fluffy like what the name suggests. The 4,000 microphones in which emits multiple layers of voices and sounds would be found to resemble something heavier and to some extent more daunting in comparison to something you would call a "singing cloud". You could say that this mass of technology is very closely reminiscent of a bomb or a mushroom cloud. Though without realizing this resemblance, i at first found difficulty relating it to the airport-style flap board that accompanied the sculpture, displaying cryptic messages based on the psychology of fear and prejudice. Through this i discovered a deeper meaning within the mass of microphones and i started to appreciate the work more.

Three Triennial Artists

Week 2 - Auckland Triennial 2010

1.What are the themes behind the title "Last ride...' for the
Auckland triennial?
-the title "last ride in a hot air balloon" is a speculative approach to describing being adventurous and taking a risk with today's contemporary art.
-this leaves the works to be more thought provoking and open to individual perception, rather then apparent or literal.
-the theme pushes viewers to reflect differently on our engagement with adventure and risk, by looking at artists who generate an adventurous condition.

2. What does a curator of an exhibition do?

a host that guides or takes you through the main themes and ideas of the works.

3. Which countries are represented in this year's triennial?
-Middle East and Asia, opposite hemispheres - northern and southern

4. Is Auckland the only country to have a triennial? Are there other similar art shows?
-there are other triennial's and biennial's similar to ours in Auckland such as:

4th International Triennial of Graphic Arts -in Prague, Czech Republic (2004) Tallinn Print Triennial - in Tallinn City Gallery, Estonia (2007) Triennale de Chamalières - in Chamalieres, France (2006) 5. Name 4 artists who will be showing work in the show. - Shilpa Gupta ( Born 1976, Mumbai, India. Lives and works in Mumbai. - Bundith Phunsombatlert Born 1972, Bangkok, Thailand. Lives and works in Rhode Island, New York. - Shahab Fotouhi Born 1980, Yadz, Iran. Lives and works in Tehran, Iran and Frankfurt, Germany. - Alicia Frankovich Born 1980, Tauranga, New Zealand. Lives and works in Berlin, Germany and Melbourne, Australia. 6. Select an artist's work from the website, copy the work to your blog and write a short comment on what the work is, and what it represents.(Reference your sources) - Shahab Foutohi , Route 2010 Iranian artist Shahab Fotouhi presents a linear sculpture made of black and white neon that shows the helicopter route taken by Shiite Muslim leader Ayatollah Khomeini on his return from exile after the 1979 revolution. The six stops that Fotouhi's sculpture consists of ends with a high curved doorway that becomes a symbol for the country’s future. The neon trail is also accompanied by a video played on loop of Khomeini's supporters being whipped by leather belts to create a clearing for his helicopter to land. Referencing: http://eyecontactartforum.blogspot.com/2010/ 04/4th-auckland-triennial-themes-part-2.html http://www.aucklandtriennial.com/artists/shahabfotouhi.asp 7. Comment on why you find this work interesting, how does it relate to your own interests? -when first approaching the neon lights in such an open space, it felt like the archway was more of an entrance to a place of peace and serenity. It felt calm and like a hypnotized insect you feel somewhat fascinated and engrossed by the "glowing trail". This is what first caught my attention to the sculpture. However when acknowledging the theme and the looped video that accompanies Fotouhi's sculpture, i found the work both humorous yet daunting, with thinking this may be an interpretation of a "doorway to peace" when really such imagery can be seen as a hint to the brutal ruthlessness to come. The irony amused me.