24th Annual Student Research Conference
Damien Hirst and the End of Art
Caleb E. Stunkel
Dr. Sara Orel, Dr. Julia DeLancey, and Mr. David Leaton, Faculty Mentors
Damien Hirst is often called a shock artist by his critics. Some of what is so shocking about his work is his constant references to the issues of art exchange. But the very issues that he has made a career out of discussing have not always been in his control. This presentation explores the ways in which Charles Saatchi, who was one of if not the biggest collector of Damien Hirsts work, commoditized and objectified Hirsts art. In my argument, I use the Marxist theory of alienation in order to demonstrate how Damien Hirsts interaction with Charles Saatchi throughout the 1990s precipitated a shift in Hirsts work from art work to art object.
Keywords: Marxism, Damien Hirst, yBas, Charles Saatchi, Commoditization
Topic(s):Art History
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 36-4
Location: OP 2121
Time: 3:30