Although grisly, I found Damien Hirst’s (b. 1965 England) installation ‘A Thousand Years absolutely fascinating. Within a huge glass case, a whole life cycle is going on. From gestation to birth, life to death, (zapped by an insect-o-cutor, what a way to go eh). All is lived out before the eyes of the viewer. A small drama, of infinite importance to the life forms (maggots) that star in it. It made me think about our own life cycle, the importance we place on stuff that in the end, doesn’t really matter. How our time is taken up with the mundane, whilst those, not so lucky, fight for their very survival.
Much has been written about Hirst, and not all of it flattering. But I like his art, I like the way he pushes back the boundaries, removing some of the ‘preciousness’ out of art, whilst ironically raking it in lol!
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