METAMORPHOSIS: CONTEMPORARY CONVERSATIONS AT THE NATIONAL GALLERY

Written by Nathan Gotlib

London, 24th July - So I had read about this exhibition in the newspapers and I happened to be in town to go and see the BP Portrait Awards 2012 (the show I try and go to every year, exquisite display of skill and draughtsmanship with an ever-increasing lack of content and concept). As the National Gallery is literally just around the corner, I thought I might as well have a look.

The exhibition features work by three contemporary artists: Mark Wallinger, Chris Ofili and Conrad Shawcross. All the work has been inspired by three paintings by Titian. The pinnacle of the work was the ballet performance at the Royal Opera House, a project all the artists worked on together with the Royal Ballet in response to Titan’s work.

Making Bad Art and Getting Away With it - Damien Hirst

Photo: Oli Scarff Getty Images

Written by Hatty Nestor

The discussion and criticism Damien Hirst has generated, whether you like his work or not, cannot be ignored. His ironic statements and dismal pieces have attracted collectors and dealers for years. Some may argue he is even morally vacuous within the auctioning house. His current retrospective at the Tate doesn’t disappoint in the variety of reviews from critics across the broad. Many of these critics have looked unfavourably upon it, or upon Hirst and the agenda he promotes to the public. The philosophical eccentricities of his pieces cannot be denied, but the extravagance of his work and the money behind it is a factor I always find incomprehensible. I’m always seeking new ways of finding integrity within his work, but so far I’ve had no luck.