About Me

I'm a PhD student researching the role of the archaeological dead in contemporary British society. Think of this as a scrapbook of all the interesting links, snippets of information and random bits and bobs I come across pertaining to death, dying and the dead. Enjoy?!

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    The Belly of the South: Bumpy reception in seaside town for Hirst’s ‘disgusting’ 65ft pregnant woman Some call it the Angel of the West; others deride it as the Belly of the South. But, whether they like it or loathe it, the people of Ilfracombe are now the custodians of this giant Damien Hirst sculpture – and they’ll be looking at it for the next two decades. The 25-ton bronze statue of a heavily pregnant woman holding a sword, arrived in the Devon seaside resort yesterday on a flatbed trailer. Hundreds of residents came out to catch their first glimpse of the work, which will take more than a week to assemble and install.  Fans call it a ‘modern allegory of truth and justice’, but many townsfolk say it is ‘obscene and disgusting’. Well, I think she is really beautiful - if Ilfracombe don’t want it, I’ll take it! You can read the rest of the article here and if you’re interested in Verity’s fabrication and installation, then you can read about that here!

    The Belly of the South: Bumpy reception in seaside town for Hirst’s ‘disgusting’ 65ft pregnant woman

    Some call it the Angel of the West; others deride it as the Belly of the South.

    But, whether they like it or loathe it, the people of Ilfracombe are now the custodians of this giant Damien Hirst sculpture – and they’ll be looking at it for the next two decades.

    The 25-ton bronze statue of a heavily pregnant woman holding a sword, arrived in the Devon seaside resort yesterday on a flatbed trailer.

    Hundreds of residents came out to catch their first glimpse of the work, which will take more than a week to assemble and install. 

    Fans call it a ‘modern allegory of truth and justice’, but many townsfolk say it is ‘obscene and disgusting’.

    Well, I think she is really beautiful - if Ilfracombe don’t want it, I’ll take it! You can read the rest of the article here and if you’re interested in Verity’s fabrication and installation, then you can read about that here!

    'Death has not required us to keep a day free'

    For the Love of God, Damien Hirst’s diamond-encrusted skull, has already become one of the most talked about works of art in recent years, but what was the inspiration behind it? With a major retrospective of his work currently on show at Tate Modern, Hirst reveals its Mexican roots…

    Damien Hirst skull to display in Turbine A £50m Damien Hirst diamond-encrusted skull will be shown in Turbine Hall to accompany a Tate Modern retrospective of his work from 4 April. For the Love of God will be displayed until 24 June. The exhibition, featuring his “pickled shark”, runs from 4 April to September. Tate said the skull, appearing for the first time in a UK public gallery, may be viewed “alternatively as a glorious, devotional, defiant or provocative gesture in the face of death itself”. The work, which will be housed in a viewing room in the east end of the Turbine Hall, was sold to an investment group in 2007 with Hirst retaining part-ownership. He has described For the Love of God, the platinum cast of a 35-year-old 18th century European man covered in 8,601 jewels, as an “uplifting” piece that “takes your breath away”. Words cannot describe how excited I am to see this! WOOT!

    Damien Hirst skull to display in Turbine

    A £50m Damien Hirst diamond-encrusted skull will be shown in Turbine Hall to accompany a Tate Modern retrospective of his work from 4 April.

    For the Love of God will be displayed until 24 June.

    The exhibition, featuring his “pickled shark”, runs from 4 April to September.

    Tate said the skull, appearing for the first time in a UK public gallery, may be viewed “alternatively as a glorious, devotional, defiant or provocative gesture in the face of death itself”.

    The work, which will be housed in a viewing room in the east end of the Turbine Hall, was sold to an investment group in 2007 with Hirst retaining part-ownership.

    He has described For the Love of God, the platinum cast of a 35-year-old 18th century European man covered in 8,601 jewels, as an “uplifting” piece that “takes your breath away”.

    Words cannot describe how excited I am to see this! WOOT!

    oddthingsiveseen: For the Love of God: Created by Damien Hirst in 2007, For the Love of God is a platinum cast of a 200-year-old male adult human skull that Hirst picked up in a taxidermy shop. He then coated the cast with 8,601 diamonds like he was spreading seeds on a Chia Pet. As a final flourish, Hirst took the teeth from the original skull and set them in the jawbones of the diamond skull. All told, the most common estimate for the complete bedazzled skull is $20-$30 million. Your and my skulls are probably worth the cost of a helmet each, and that’s only in some states. See more.

    oddthingsiveseen:

    For the Love of God: Created by Damien Hirst in 2007, For the Love of God is a platinum cast of a 200-year-old male adult human skull that Hirst picked up in a taxidermy shop. He then coated the cast with 8,601 diamonds like he was spreading seeds on a Chia Pet. As a final flourish, Hirst took the teeth from the original skull and set them in the jawbones of the diamond skull. All told, the most common estimate for the complete bedazzled skull is $20-$30 million. Your and my skulls are probably worth the cost of a helmet each, and that’s only in some states. See more.