The Cultural Bit

I just about managed to get myself organised enough to see the Pop Art exhibition at Tate Modern before it finished last weekend and i loved it rather a lot. I could happily have whiled away more than the two hours that I actually spent there, but I had a table reservation at Vertigo that I was a bit eager to get to (check out those views!!!!).
Anyway, I loved it so much that one day I hope to own a couple of the exhibited pieces, after all, who needs a soul when you have incredible works of art. (Turns out I may not even have to sell my soul....my friend who works for Tate just told me that now the exhibtion is over they don't need the pieces anymore so they probably won't mind if he takes them home for me. Cool.).

Most of all I'd like Memories Of/Moments With You 2008 Damien Hirst, a gold cabinet displaying row upon row of manufactured diamonds.



Completely ostentatious but utterly beautiful. Take a closer look.....



I'm not sure this is exactly what Mr Hirst had in mind, but seeing it in person made me think of childhood dreams, and more so that gorgeous scene from Disney's The Rescuers where against a score of harps and chimes, the huge diamond that little kidnapped orphan Penny has been forced into a cold dark cave to search for, suddenly catches the light of her lamp, throwing the cave into a dazzling array of light and rainbows. [ooh gonna have to steal that video back from my sister's kids.] Everytime I turned around and looked at it, I almost expected to hear the same chimes.


Right now I'm picturing it hanging in a dark wood dining room where it can glow moodily under low light. Or maybe in a big open industrial/minimalist style room where it can dazzle to full effect.


The other piece I want for my own is Hotel International 2003 Tracey Emin.



A completely un-glamourous apliqued blanket, it's aesthetically about as far from Memories Of... as you can get. None the less, I found it compelling and beautiful and actually spent longer looking at this than at any other piece in the whole exhibition including the adults only room ;-)
There's something very sweet and tender and honest about it which comes across much better if you see it in person and can actually read the notes and messages and memories sewn in and written all over it. It soothed me to look at. Or something.


Memories of/Moments with You 2008 Damien Hirst (last sold for) £2.6mil
Hotel International 1993 Tracey Emin (can't find price anywhere. I guess if you have to ask then you can't afford it)
Suddenly the Alaia dress aint looking so pricey!