h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Well?... Does anyone else find the photo of Damien Hirst posing with a dead man's head disgusting?

Is anyone else getting so sick of seeing Damien Hirst grinning at the top of the page that they would really like to recompose the photo with two dead heads?

JTG

How about two skulls? I also have a book called 'Frozen in Time' which has pictures in it of dead men 'mummified' by Arctic conditions. These pictures, one of which is on the front cover, are more appealing than the current 'Eyestorm' banner ad.

Actually, I find most of Damien Hirst's work unappealing, and even he admits that a lot of work that is currently regarded as 'art' is rubbish (including some of his own work). However, I feel that 'art' is a personal thing. The best an 'art appreciation' class can do (IMHO) is try to get the 'students' to look at 'works of art', particularly abstract ones, in different ways and try to be more open minded. Mind you, when I see a metre square piece of canvas painted solid green hanging in an art gallery (in Antwerp, if you're interested), I tend to think, 'If that's art, I'm in the wrong job!'

Dear John,
Yes, I do.
Although I am an atheist and have willed my body to medical science, I do not approve of the display of dead bodies in any circumstances. Irrationally, I feel skeletons are different, because, I suppose, they are devoid of personality.I do not, for example, feel comfortable looking at unwrapped mummies.
How is it that Hirst hasn't been charged on this one?

Oops! The art gallery is in Arnhem, not Antwerp. We just had to go through Antwerp to get there - never a pleasant experience.

I don't have particularly strong feelings about dead bodies. Although how they came to be dead can be pretty poignant. I am more disgusted by Hirst's goofy grin than the mortal remains of the pooor chap the irreverent yob is abusing. He ought to be charged with desecrating human remains.

So why hasn't he been?

I think the police tend to be a little over-sensitive about being thought of as philistines. If Hirst had chosen to run across a football pitch with a dead man's head, I'm sure some bobby with a sense of decorum would have beaten him to a pulp... and serve him right it would too.

JTG

Je suis vraisment degoutee. I am really disgusted with everything about this fellow. His art is unimaginative and unless the colored dots are made of the powder of pulverized precious and semi-precious stones, in my opinion, it is worthless. I hate to be so negative. WOL, JLC the TTP

So Hirst is the one on the right as we look at it right.

thanks cheerful dragon. I knew I would like your opinion 'cause I like your name. We all need cheer. Tell me are you an art critique, collector, artist... What job is wrong for you? And what the heck were you doing in Antwerp? Worlds of Love, JLC the TTP

(I find it very offensive. It seems irreverant. And if I die, I'd like it to be known that I don't want someone to profit from selling pictures of a dead me)

*DD scratches that idea from his notebook*

_If_ you die? What do you know that the rest of us don't?

..and yes, it is pretty un-art. But you have to keep in mind that Damien Hirst is the Howard Stern of art - loud, rude and utterly without talent....however, that's what the public seem to want these days

I meant 'if I die in the near future before I have a chance to make a will or tell anyone else'

The public may want it. But I feel its really inapropriate for advertising too - I feel its inappropiate for art, but I don't have to go and see it... however, atm I'm getting it shoved in my face every time I load an h2g2 page and it makes me feel really uncomfortable.

..and even if we complain, what good will it do on a bank holiday?

As an aside, do you think a will written here would be legal? If so, we should each put the non-personal bits up so that there's no confusion ergo: I wish my body to be used in science but not art or cookery. If it is of no use then please cremate whats left....and if there's more tha £4000 in the kitty buy a bottle of 40 year old Bowmores to toast my journey with

...none, until tommorrow.

You'd need witnesses to posting, or something... i'm sure the legal situation would be incredibly complicated;it would be hard to prove that you posted that - someone else could and seem like you... and I'm about to dig myself into a hole, so I'll stop now...

In answer to the original question :- YES,
But I have a nasty suspician that was exactly what Damien Hirst wanted .

In reply to Duncan I don't think its the type of art the public want.
More like its the type of art the press want so they can stir up a public storm (like this one?)and get more publicity.

Question

Is Damien Hirst an artist or just a publicity seeker?

Another question - in 100 years time, will Hirst a) be remembered as an artist or b) be remembered at all?

Does the Advertising Standards Authority have any kind of, er, authority over advertisments on the internet, or is it just concerned with more conventional media? I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be allowed to hold up a dead person's head on television, for example.

From the ASA's code of conduct (and it does have some authority over 'non-broadcast' advertising):
Section 5: Decency

5.1 Advertisements should contain nothing that is likely to cause serious or
widespread offence. Particular care should be taken to avoid causing
offence on the grounds of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or
disability. Compliance with the Codes will be judged on the context,
medium, audience, product and prevailing standards of decency.

5.2 Advertisements may be distasteful without necessarily conflicting with 5.1
above. Advertisers are urged to consider public sensitivities before using
potentially offensive material.

5.3 The fact that a particular product is offensive to some people is not
sufficient grounds for objecting to an advertisement for it.
(Taken from http://www.asa.org.uk/codes/ad_page_4.htm)

I think under that eyestorm probably aren't in breach of the code. The rules are different for TV and radio ads.