Damien Hirst - need I say more?

[JoolsToo]

£70 million for his 'art' work at yesterday's auction

Emperor's new clothes anyone?

I find it quite nauseating that people spend vast amounts of money on a stuffed shark. Look around the world and see where you can spend it to better use please.

[JoolsToo]

plus there are more auctions to follow ..

[DisasterAreaIsOffToCostaRica]

my mum used to pickle roadkill in formaldehyde. to think we could have made 70 million [sigh]

[pigleto]

I hope he gets credit crunched. I will be amazed if his stuff is worth anything to future generations.

He spends less than a day thinking up each piece. However well someone else executes them, quality will out (I hope) and the kind of prat who buys the rubbish will find they are holding nothing but garbage.

[onceinalifetime]

Richest living artist ever and apparently even his signature is worth £200 - he made the quip that when he signs a restaurant bill, the signature alone is worth more than the bill.

He doesn't even do his own artwork, apparently Lauren Child was one of his spot painters. Hirst said that he only painted five spot paintings himself because, "I couldn't be fucking arsed doing it"

[bobsyouruncle]

doesn't sit well with me, people with too much money and no conscience.

[rubyloopy]

Message withdrawn

[WilfSell]

You know what? It is not at all unusual for high-end artists to have their work completed or fabricated by someone else. It didn't stop the Renaissance Old Masters and I'm not too sure why Hirst needs to be bashed with that old chestnut either.

You don't like it. Fine. You don't get it. Fine.

It is art though, and it is genius.

[JoolsToo]

"It is art though, and it is genius"

ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!

sorry but that is the funniest thing I ever heard - G E N I U S?

What's genius about it? I'd say he was clever in knowing how dumb some folk are and will pay anything for any old shite with label

[WilfSell]

Y'all want a picture of the Haywain on your placemats wall, you go ahead. I prefer something a bit more challenging.

[Alambil]

It's obscene.

There is no other word for it.

He is Very Clever knowing how to tap the market under the guise of "Art"... I wouldn't call his work genius (or even art!) though.

I like that woman who protested outside; I'm surprised she didn't have more support

[UnquietDad]

Funniest thing I've seen in an art gallery was two people chin-stroking around a smooth, prismic wooden object with flat metal discs sticking out of it, attempting to divine its inner meaning and the artist's intention.

It was a seat.

[Alambil]

Where is the skill in what Hirst does? That's what I don't get

People want challenging art but how is that a challenge? I'm sure anyone with the right contacts could get a gynormous fishtank to put a cow in weird liquid in...

[GooseyLoosey]

I have just looked the word "art" up in my dictionary and it says "production of something beautiful; skill or ability..." it does go on a bit further, but am struggling to see how Mr Hirst's work fits in.

[hatwoman]

I particularly liked him identifying his auction as ironic because it cut out the galleries. as if the auction was a statement itself.

[AuraofDora]

op you know he doesn't even 'do it' himself, he has team of grafters to do it for him

[thomsc]

Genius? well, he just got paid £8.5 million for recycling an idea he had 20 years ago. I'd say that was pretty damn clever.

Obscene it may well be, but rich people's readiness to buy stuff is not his fault.

Historically, as depression looms, art has proved to be a good long term investment.

[GooseyLoosey]

Those of you who like Hirst, how would you define art?

To me it is a beautiful or thought provoking object someone has created that I would want to return to look at again and again and that I could derive some meaning or feeling from.

I cannot see how dots, fag ends or pickled farm animals are art. What am I missing?

[sitdownpleasegeorge]

The thing is that many people do get it and steer clear of it because hirst/emin's sort of modern art is IMHO is what used to be described as curios or curiousity pieces, things to amaze your friends/family/acquaintances with as a conversation piece.

The people who do get this idea are common sense types and don't want to take a risk with their money.

Art can be so many things but it is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. The strata of society that have bought into todays modern art at veeeeerrrry high prices cannot afford to stop believing in it as otherwise their "investment" will be practically worthless overnight so they will always have to say that it is fine art and that lesser brained folks "just don't get it" in order to sustain the market therein.

I'm more of a William Morris person myself.......... Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful (or something like that).

[TheFallenMadonna]

Tne man has made countless millions from pickling livestock. He is undoubtedly a genius.

[Portofino]

What's that old saying about a fool and his money?