Friday, June 30, 2006

Rotting Shark


The decompostion of artist Damien Hirst's iconic work, "The physical impossibility of death in the mind of someone living" poses some interesting questions about the authenticity of contemporary art work, such as, is it the same work of art, if it is entirely replaced by the artist? Here's a bit of what's happening to Damien's "preserved" shark piece, "The animal suspended in formaldehyde has deteriorated dramatically to the naked eye since it was first unveiled at the Saatchi Gallery in 1992 because of the way it was preserved by the artist. The solution which surrounds it is murky, the skin of the animal is showing considerable signs of wear and tear, and the shark itself has changed shape." So if he replaces the shark, is it the same piece? Read this article to find out more here.

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