Damien Hirst for Hallmark?
Damien Hirst’s latest exhibition opened just in time for Valentines Day, and by the looks of things that was no coincidence. We quite like his images of butterflies inside hearts and even his resin cast of a pigs heart with a crossbow through it (above). But, it’s definitely far from what most people would expect from the usually controversy-courting Hirst. Jonathan Jones, a critic from The Guardian, said that the only reason Hirst’s latest exhibition exists is to “squeeze a few thousand quid out of punters innocent enough to believe a Damien Hirst print makes a cool gift for Valentine’s Day” and that the prints of hearts and butterflies “have all the originality and artistic depth of a Valentine Card.” So Damien Hirst isn’t really working for Hallmark but some critics think he may as well be. How would you feel if your Valentine’s Day gift got such a bad review?
Love is what Tracy Emmin wants
In 2011 Tracy Emmin, one of the most talked about artists in the world, held a retrospective exhibition showing work from the course of her career and called it ‘Love is What You Want’. The name came from one of her artworks, a neon sign which was displayed on a dark hallway alongside dozens of other neon signs. The installation had the look and feeling of a strip of seedy shopfronts, but we love the effect of the sign on it’s own too. Would you like a Valentine from the woman who has exhibited her own bed, complete with dirty sheets, and has sewn the names of everyone she’s ever slept with inside a tent? We would!
Sam Jinks’ cuddly Valentine
Australian artist Sam Jinks makes the most beautiful, eerie life-like sculptures using materials like silicone, fur and human hair. Several of his sculptures show figures sleeping next to each other affectionately. We think his Unsettled Dogs work conjures up a great feeling of love and intimacy. That said, it’s probably not the kind of thing everyone would appreciate unwrapping on Valentine’s Day.
Have a 23 million dollar heart
This Valentine’s Day every petrol station, supermarket and florist will be filled with shiny heart shaped lollies and knick knacks but what if your Valentine came home with the most expensive heart in the world? Jeff Koon’s Hanging Hearts are made of stainless steel coated with layer upon layer of paint which has created a dazzling, mirror like, finish. The work is almost three metres tall but it looks weightless. In 2007 one of the hearts sold for 23 million dollars – making it a Valentine gift that melt the hardest heart!
Our own Valentine is cast in bronze
On the corner of Vincent and Beaufort Streets in Perth Dogman and Rabbitgirl are going for a naked ride on a tandem bike, which sounds like a great Valentine’s Day date to us! They’ve been calling this corner their home for a while but next week we’ll be visiting Perth again with something totally new. Our latest exhibition is called Kiss Me and opens at Linton and Kay Gallery on February 17. As part of the exhibition we’ve made some new bronze sculptures to celebrate love, relationships and the power of a kiss by showing our hybrid characters lip locked and loved up.