Better living than dead - Damien Hirst

It is Damien Hirst's desire for his work to exceed in value of that of Mona Lisa, alive

Ever since last week I have known about the sale of the Damien Hirst skull which allegedly went for one hundred million US dollars. It is unprecedented to hear of such a figure given to a living artist for his work. Mr Hirst can be very proud. Now where do we go from here? He certainly has set the bar very high. Dead artists as everyone knows always seem to have done better than living ones, but this is not strictly true. Throughout history art has been a very lucrative career for many people, for example, in Europe, Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Frans Hals, Goya,SalvadorDali, Picasso,in America, past and present Mary Cassatt, Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons and Virginia Bartlett, and in Trinidad and Tobago, Bosco Holder, leRoi Clarke, Jackie Hinkson and Karen Sylvester.

When it comes to artists making money though, a weird thing happens. So many people get excited and concerned about an artist calling large figures for the work they make. I suppose that people do not see the struggle, only the fame, much as what happens with actors. Now many people would say that they are really overcompensated for what they do too. I am sure in Mr. Hirst's case, there are just reach people who are wondering what is it about his work that makes it worth the cost? In fact there are practicing artists wondering the same thing. Mr. Hirst guaranteed value by making the work an object, and not just any object an unexpected relic-like, haunting interpretation of mystical sculpture of the past. Obviously Mr. Hirst was looking at how far, how high, how big and how much he could push his already expanding reputation. It shall be interesting to see how he tops himself, and no people, he won't do his own body or anyone in his family in diamonds, that's already old hat. adele