While being in Paris last week for Maison & Objet I had also to pay a visit to the must-go-and-see-must-buy-something concept store Colette. And I went home with some of the cheapest pieces one can get from the richest living british artist – Damien Hirst*. He once sold a complete art show for 198 million US Dollar by a Sotheby’s auction. The highly controversial artist probably most famous for his tiger-shark immersed in formaldehyde, the spot-paintings and the skull covered in diamonds also co-founded a company called other criteria in 2005.
And other criteria is an “arts-based publishing company and has established itself by producing an array of unique artworks, art publications and limited editions in a variety of media”. The intention is to directly deal with the artists and sell also straight away to customers without to much of middlemen in between like galleries etc.
So one of these products is a plate made of an image from the spin painting series, which Hirst started to experiment with in 1992. Spin Art means, a canvas is on a platform that can be rotated at high speed. Once the canvas is secure, the artist can then begin spinning the canvas.
Beautiful, amore, gasp, eyes going into top of head and fluttering painting, 1997, © Damien Hirst, reference for the porcelain plate made by other criteria
Beautiful, cataclysmic pink minty shifting horizon exploding star with ghostly presence, wide, broad, painting, 2004, © Damien Hirst
Damien Hirst himself explains this art work as childish, probably referring to the fact, that Spin art is also used to entertain and expose children to the process of art creation. Well, that makes me think, why not making your own Damien, ah, sorry Spin Art. And why should only children have fun creating art? Just need some color, a canvas and a wheel. Or if you want to keep your home free of paint spots on your walls, why not buy a plate? It’s just 39 Euro (approx. 53 US Dollar). That’s a deal, or?
*according to the Sunday Times Rich List from 2010
photo: © Damien Hirst
photo plate: ©designisti.com
How cool! I was at the Hirst exibition in Doha, Katar and was so thrilled!