Posted on 09/17/2002 7:19:14 AM PDT by PJeffQ
Brit artist outrages 9/11 families
Families of Sept. 11 victims joined New York leaders in denouncing shock artist Damien Hirst yesterday after he contended Osama Bin Laden and his henchmen "need congratulating" for their "visually stunning" atrocity.
Hirst, who has made a fortune trotting out animal cadavers as conceptual art, says the World Trade Center attack was "kind of like an artwork in its own right."
"It was wicked," the British gallery huckster allowed in an interview with the BBC News Online. "But it was devised in this way for this kind of impact. It was devised visually. You've got to hand it to them on some level because they've achieved something which nobody would have ever have thought possible, especially to a country as big as America. So on one level they kind of need congratulating, which a lot of people shy away from, which is a very dangerous thing."
Hirst went on to say that any military action to stop more terrorist acts would be a mistake: "I think the thing to do is to stand up and say hang on a minute - this is people, these are bodies, these are lives. The surest way to make it happen again is to go and start throwing stones at somebody."
Asked for his reaction to Hirst's critique of the tragedy, Mayor Bloomberg told us: "The only thing that is stunning is the insensitivity of his remarks. I think New Yorkers would agree that it is completely inappropriate and offensive to make an analogy between an act of terror and a work of art."
Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who took on Hirst in 1999 when he condemned the Brooklyn Museum of Art's "Sensation" show, said: "In light of the horrendous loss of innocent lives on Sept. 11, this is an utterly inhuman and indecent comment. It's another wretched indication of how some have perverted the term 'art.' "
Gov. Pataki called Hirst's remarks "a sick and grotesque distortion of art. Art is a celebration of beauty and creativity, while the terrorist attack was an act of pure evil. This guy should spend a few minutes with the families of those killed on 9/11. Then he will truly understand the impact of this horrible attack."
Virginia Bauer, who lost her husband, David, said Hirst was a "bizarre extremist," adding: "I think he deserves no response. You almost have to laugh. He's doing it for shock."
Sally Regenhard, who lost her son, a firefighter, said: "We should kick his butt into the demonic caves that those demonic barbarians crawled out of. Let him personally congratulate them. I really feel this is garbage, just like his art is. I'm calling on the art community to rise up."
It may happen. Hirst's New York art dealer, Larry Gagosian, told us: "I am shocked and angry to hear about Damien's irresponsible comment. This is a senseless and deeply offensive thing to say. Clearly, Damien owes us all a major apology."
Not if you've got bigger stones.
Hurst artwork rescued from rubbish
A part of the Damien Hurst window artwork at the Eyesto'rm gallery in central London. The work of art was thrown away by a cleaner, who thought it was a pile of old rubbish left over from a party the previous night. The artwork was restored to its former glory by gallery staff when the mistake was spotted. The work, which is for sale for a six figure sum, is waiting for a buyer.---The Guardian
We should kick his butt into the demonic caves that those demonic barbarians crawled out of. Let him personally congratulate them. I really feel this is garbage, just like his art is
Let him experience first hand their artwork. Sick idiot.
No pervert, you are the very dangerous thing.
regards
But what if our bomb explosions are done with visual impact in mind? Then killing the enemy would be ok, right?
My sister tried to explain to me why this is art:
Her: "Art needs to progress."
Me: "Why?"
Her: "It just does."
Me: "Who said?"
Her: "No one said, it just is."
Me: "No it isn't. You can't tell me that a sawed in half cow is progress compared to a Monet anyway."
Her: "I'm just telling you what the artists think."
Me: "Well that's insane."
Her: "That's the arts world for you."
Regards, Ivan
Memorialise the WTC as Crytal nacht, because this is the day Dems pogromed a victim America.
Does this fall into the "I don't know if it's art, but I like it" line of thinking?
To evaluate the WTC attack on any sort of artistic scale offends me both as an American and an artist. What an ugly statement for this person to make!
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