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Beyond Belief, by Damien Hirst
(White Cube, Hoxton Square & Mason’s Yard, until 7th July)
Damien Hirst’s new skull is studded with thousands of flawless diamonds—but does that make it a flawless work of art? Yes, according to most art critics. Reviews have been euphoric for Hirst’s new exhibition at London’s White Cube gallery—a big change from the mixed reaction to his blood-splattered cabinets of 2003, or his photorealist paintings
of 2005. But now Damien has “redeemed himself,” as one critic put it, and created what “might be the art of the 21st century.” The new show is called “Beyond Belief,” a title that refers to Hirst’s current religious preoccupations, but which a cynic might interpret as a reference to the popularity of his often derivative and repetitive oeuvre. I am not a cynic, but, unlike many of my peers, I do think the question of how great Hirst is remains unresolved.
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