Diamond-encrusted platinum skull for sale
By Peter Aspden in London
Published: June 1 2007 18:50 | Last updated: June 1 2007 18:50
ft.com
A diamond-encrusted, platinum skull by artist Damien Hirst, thought to be the most expensive piece of contemporary art ever created, was unveiled in a London gallery on Friday with a price tag of $99m (£50m).
The White Cube gallery in Mason’s Yard, Mayfair, where the work goes on display to the public from Sunday, said a number of “seriously interested” buyers had already enquired after the piece.
The work, entitled “For the Love of God”, is a platinum cast of an 18th century human skull the artist bought from a taxidermy shop in Islington two years ago.
It has been covered entirely by 8,601 VVS (very very slightly included) to flawless pavé-set diamonds, all of which were ethically sourced, with the help of the Bond Street jewellers Bentley & Skinner.
Mr Hirst said his search for so many high-quality diamonds in such a short space of time affected the market. “The price went up as we bought them,” he said.
The cost of the raw materials to create the work amounted to £12m, which was split between Mr Hirst and his dealer, Jay Jopling.
The gallery is expecting thousands of people to come to see the work. They will be able to book free tickets online and will be confronted by the tightest security measures ever seen at a London art show.
The total weight of the diamonds is 1,106.18 carats, including an “internally flawless light fancy pink brilliant-cut diamond” weighing 52.4 carats, that Mr Hirst has named “The Skull Star Diamond”. It is mounted in the middle of the skull’s forehead.
The artist said the idea may have seemed “blingy or tacky”, but its execution had produced a work that was serene and calm. He said the skull represented “the maximum celebration you could make against death”.
The original skull has been examined by forensic experts, who believe it to have belonged to a European male who was 35 years old at the time of his death, and who was alive some time between 1720 and 1810. Teeth from the skull have been reset in the platinum cast.
“For the Love of God” is the highlight of Mr Hirst’s new show, “Beyond Belief”, which takes place at the White Cube gallery in Hoxton as well as its Mayfair venue.
It includes two new series of paintings: the “Birth Paintings”, which show depictions of the artist’s son, Cyrus, being born by Caesarian section in August 2005, and the “Biopsy Paintings”, which are based on biopsy images of 30 different forms of cancer and other terminal illnesses.
Mr Hirst has also included one of his formaldehyde pieces in the exhibition. “Death Explained” is a new work, consisting of a tiger shark divided longitudinally in two separate tanks.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007 |
