Damien Hirst's new work was scolded again.
Late last month, Drake, known as the "Cannon of Canada," confirmed the release date of his upcoming album Certified Lover Boy on Instagram, while he also unveiled the album's official artwork, created by British contemporary artist Damien Hirst.
(Disclaimer: The "cannon king" here is not in the connotation of Wu Moufan, Drake's subwoofer-like duck voice is well-known in the industry, and the highly recognizable voice coupled with fancy rap skills is a well-deserved "cannon king")
The piece, made up of 12 "pregnant" emojis, is derived from Hearst's iconic polka dot artwork and the statue of the Virgin of The Pregnant Woman.
Spot Paintings (2012)
The Virgin Morther, bronze statue
Verity, bronze statue
Speculation about the hidden meaning of this open art cover has attracted many "good people",
One Twitter user speculated that perhaps the rapper wanted to imply that the music he was creating was like his own children, or that he was acknowledging that he was the father of a dozen children (albums).
Someone else gave a more complicated guess: Drake delayed the scheduled release date by 9 months (9 months was a full-term pregnancy), which is why he released an album about love (having children), Certified Lover Boy.
Of course, the seemingly obvious way of "copying, changing colors, pasting" has also triggered a variety of negative reactions, from "tacky", "lazy" to "disgusting", everything,
It even sparked some spoofs: "Good Gay" rapper Lil Nas X just posted a picture of "Twelve Pregnant Dad" on social media and claimed it would be the cover of his new album.
He also posted art photos of himself "pregnant", played a serious and realistic book, and earned a gimmick for his upcoming album.
Others worry that Hearst — one of the world's richest artists — may have been paid as a "commission." (Look, everyone still has the kung fu to worry about other people's money)
Looking at his social media about this album cover, the comments of fans are basically not good,
Hearst ins screenshot
Synthesizing all, Wuyi extracts a few high-like points for everyone, probably translating it: "The worst cover ever!" "That's it?" "I know this graph is a perfect marketing tool. But from an artistic point of view, it's nothing. ”
To tell the truth, Hearst was scolded, and the artless had already seen it very plainly, and it is estimated that Hirst himself laughed when he saw it - this is already the norm of his habits.
No, there are even those who want him to "die to apologize",
Like these artists with strong commercial ties, Hearst's most famous work is the use of animal carcasses such as sharks in formalin and his dot paintings, and the situation of the double day has not changed much.
His paintings have been criticized and criticized by the industry and mainstream media, including The Independent, The Daily Telegraph, the Guardian, etc., as if his new works are completely "not worth a look", like the works of new art college students, with a little idea in their heads but no techniques on their hands, clumsy, rough and boring.
In contrast, the way to create works by pretending to be the hands of others is even more criticized. So far, it has been reported that Hearst has only completed 5 pointillist paintings by himself, while the remaining more than 300 "genuine works" circulating on the market are actually written by two of his assistants.
However, this did not prevent Hearst's dot paintings from becoming the most striking element of contemporary art– it transcended language and culture and became a globally known symbol.
1,3-Dipentadecanoin, oil on canvas, 48.3×43.2cm, 1996
Regardless of the artistry of Hearst's works, he himself is indeed a profound curator and packaging master, always able to present his works in the most concise and eye-catching language. Whether it is an exhibition or an auction, it is all managed as a work of art.
Hearst's willingness to hold the "Dot Show" has a long history, he said: "I have tried to do this several times. ”
More than a decade ago, he had already planned a "dot exhibition" with Thatch Gallery and Tate Gallery, and although it was not successful, he always claimed that his dot painting would be part of a huge concept work - to make the world full of dots.
Later, Hearst talked about this matter and received strong support:
This generation of collectors may not have known about Mondrian's oil paintings, or Ellsworth Kelly's early colored charts, and the dots could be a good opportunity to introduce them into abstract art. You know, how deeply it's ingrained.
In 2012, the Gagosian Gallery, under the title "The Complete Spot Paintings: 1986-2011", exhibited the artist's polka dot series in its entirety.
Minoxidil, oil on canvas, 320×320cm, 2005
In short, from the first dot painting directly painted on the wall of the exhibition hall in 1986 to the current extended version of Darke, the cover of 12 pregnant women emoji, Wuyi feels that Hurst's intention may not be just to fit the dot painting and the sculpture of the Virgin,
complexion? race? status? hierarchy? Maternal love? human nature? universe? multiply? life? wish?
……
Hearst: Open-ended works, you scold slowly, guess slowly.