The Young Damien Hirst and Other Rainy Day Projects

Uggg the rain. Yeah I'm not a rain person. I'm not a cold weather person either. Most people think it's ridiculous that I would consider Northern California as too rainy and too cold but....it is. And yes I do understand that compared with the rest of the world, the Yay Area has a comparably high warmth/dry score. Meh. Still too cold. Still too wet.

So we're all cooped up inside. The backyard is wet and my projects are tarped. We need some arts and crafty stuff. Ok I pick...Damien Hirst.

So after hunting around the house for half an hour looking for some type of dead animal to cut in half and preserve in formaldehyde, the thought occurred to me that what I really like about Damien Hirst is the relative diversity of his work. Maybe we weren't going to find any creature that we could embalm on this rainy day. Sorry kids. The closest we came was a hard boiled egg cut in half and pickled in separate jars to be titled "Eggs Separated". Hmmm I'm going to have to pursue that idea.

Well lucky for us Hirst has his uber-silly spin art paintings for us to pursue. Now I'm not going to get into the 'What Is Art' argument here. Basically this question is now and will always be completely in the control of the cultural gatekeepers in society. The definition is always in the air and shifts with the shift in who holds the reins from generation to generation. It's cultural...it's flexible. For me though...the Hirst spin paintings are dead and soulless. Which ties in perfectly with the themes pursued so well in his other work. Meh.

This isn't to say I have anything against spin art. For kids and a rainy day...sounds perfect. We need a spinnermabob.



So just get a box. Cut a hole. Tape a piece of egg carton to the middle. Then thumbtack a paper plate to it. Ta Da. Spin away.



Now this is a manual spinner that can't quite get up to a respectable RPM. So it's better for spirals and circles. If I had a bit more motivation I'd modify an orbital sander for some good dangerous times.

Nonetheless...I think the kids' work came out great.




Next time kids, I'll promise to have a large mammal to cut in half.