Wednesday 11 February 2015

Valentine's Art - Damien Hirst - Feb 14th 2015

This morning, after the school drop off I took a quick skip and a hop down to my old hunting ground  to catch Damien Hirst’s Valentine Exhibition at the Paul Stolper Gallery on Museum Street.

I met Kendal, who since my distant post mentioning her has been given two things - the all clear from her breast cancer and an inheritance; not enough to change her lifestyle but enough to smooth the edges and buy herself little treats - such as a membership to the British Museum.

The Paul Stopler Gallery is open from 10am Wednesday through to Saturday. We arrived too early, (public transport having whizzed me from N10 to WC1 in under an hour) and had just started to bother the doorbell with frosty finger when the gamine gallery worker opened up.

I knew what to expect and have to say it is right up my straße, pretty to look at without much content (no comment). I love the details too. Basically Damien has produced a series of screen prints in various colourways of hearts and butterflies with some nice gold foil blocking for that studio 54 loving clientele! (I’m sure there is much more to it than that but you won't find it here). I especially liked the larger than life sized disco biscuit with engraved love message.

As it was early and were the only ones there, I was able to snap a few photos. Needless to say all images © Damien Hirst and Paul Stopler Gallery.

Damien Hirst - LOVE at Paul Stopler, Museum St. WC2
Limited edition love heart © Damien Hirst
 These disco biscuits would get anyone dancing.

Limited edition love heart © Damien Hirst
 I love these enormous love hearts and especially like his love logos and signature on the side.

Heart and arrow © Damien Hirst
 This one was more to Kendal's liking! A black feathered bolt through a pickled cow heart.

 ©Damien Hirst 2015 
 So purrrrdy!

 ©Damien Hirst 2015
 ©Damien Hirst 2015
 ©Damien Hirst 2015
Mmm, I'm thinking one of these limited edition screen prints (at £6,000 a pop) would look rather lovely over my fireplace...

 ©Damien Hirst 2015
Enough dreaming! 

Afterwards Kendal shared the British Museum Member’s room, where I had one of the finest cups of coffee I’ve tasted in London. Then happily back to North London sated on my little diversion.

The British Museum February 2015



Other nonsense

Quote of the day

‘They tuck you up your mum and dad...’
Anon - after Larkin

“Philately will get you everywhere”
WEM

“It’s not the despair, I can handle the despair. 
It’s the hope I can’t deal with”
Clockwise

“Each new friend represents a world in us, a world not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.”
Anais Nin

‘Come on Dover move your bloomin’ arse’.
Eliza Doolittle