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Pickled Cows & Dead Flies: With Love From Hirst to Tate

by Zoe Strimpel
Sun, 16 Dec 2007 at 2:54 PM

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In the culmination of longstanding plans to make his work accessible to the public, Damien Hirst has forgone millions of pounds on the white-hot contemporary art market and donated some of his most famous pieces to the Tate. Though perhaps the highest-profile, Hirst is among 23 artists who pledged three years ago to give significant examples of their work to the Tate collection.

The Hirst bequest includes "Mother and Child Divided" (his pickled cows), "Who is Afraid of the Dark?" (a canvas covered in dead black flies), "Life Without You" (seashells on a desk), and "Acquired Inability to Escape" (a glass cabinet containing an ashtray, desk, and chair).

Ever so slightly arrogant, Hirst said in the Tate's press release: "I've been in negotiations with the Tate for a few years to make sure they get the right pieces to represent me properly. I think giving works from my collection is a small thing if it means millions of people get to see the work displayed in a great space."

Tate director Nicholas Serota, in the same release, said he was deeply grateful for the donation, pointing out how limited the gallery's budget is for purchases, especially in relation to the prices being fetched in the art market these days. "With such a limited budget for acquisitions, and when art market prices are high, Tate is indebted to international contemporary artists such as Damien Hirst for working with us on building the collection," he said.

*****

Cocktail hour on Saturday night and the streets of London were deserted. Why? Not, as you might assume, some major soccer game. Nor any important political broadcast (not that this would keep booze-chasing Brits off the streets). It was the "X Factor" final, of course — the British version of "American Idol." Last night, a record 12 million people tuned in to find out which hopeful would sing his or her way to the winning number of votes, bagging a $2 million recording contract and, most likely, the Christmas no. 1.

It was for this reason that a friend and I were able to get a table at X&O, an elite and elitist bar in the Helena Bonham-Carter/Kate Moss area of North London, Belsize Park. After a single cocktail, though, both of us felt we were in the wrong place. So we shelved our delusions of hedonistic grandeur and scurried to the nearest TV.

In the end it was Leon Jackson, an 18-year-old from Scotland, who triumphed with "When You Believe" (a rewritten version of a Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston combination). Mr. Jackson's victory was all the sweeter as he beat the favorite to win, the slightly creepy-looking but inarguably thunder-voiced Welshman Rhydian Roberts. Same Difference, a cheesy Barbie-esque brother-sister duo "popular with the kids," never really stood a chance.

The show has been high on the tabloid agenda for months (admittedly, the broadsheets have hardly been avoiding it — Britain's fixation with reality TV is omnipresent) and by the time last night rolled around, everyone had their favorite and their prediction.

According to Ladbrokes, the betting company, Leon's win was "the biggest shock in the history of reality TV betting."

"He saved us from a bumper payout," said a spokesman. "He'll definitely be top of our Christmas card list."

*****

Less than a week after the O2 Centre shook with the wails of Robert Plant and the adoring throngs of Led Zeppelin fans, the stadium was packed again with another record-making show. Last night the Spice Girls reunion tour landed in London — their first UK performance in 10 years. So popular was the show (tickets sold out in 38 seconds when they went on sale in October) that the band will play 16 extra London dates.

"Thank God we're home," Mel B yelled. Emma Bunton pleased everyone by limping through the performance with a brace after injuring her ankle earlier this week.

There's no doubting that Spice Power is still a live vein — and may well continue to be so for decades to come. As the columnist James Delingpole said after watching the show last night: "Here's to the Spice Girls at the O2 Arena in 2032. And to the new nicknames they'll no doubt have acquired by then: Grizzly, Creaky, Mildly Disturbing, Granny and Dowager Duchess."

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