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Tag: damien hirst

  • Olsens’ $55,000 Handbags: Croc Skin And Pills

    Olsens’ $55,000 Handbags: Croc Skin And Pills

    Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen have never exactly shied away from the limelight; at 26, they’ve achieved more than many of their peers put together. As child actresses, they dominated the television landscape with roles on the highly popular sitcom “Full House” and later put out their own series of direct-to-video features, which appealed to kids on a mass level. From there, it was on to fashion and jewelry and perfume, and they haven’t stopped dabbling in all the things they love.

    But the latest venture for the twins is somewhat controversial, and not just because of the outrageous price tag; their crocodile-skin handbags are also adorned with prescription pills, which many say advocates drug use.

    The bags, which will only see a limited run of 12 when they go on sale on December 12th, will cost around $55,000 each and were designed by Damien Hirst, who is no stranger to controversy himself. While there are a couple of different styles, the main attraction seems to be the pill bag, which comes in a multi-colored style as well as all-black.

    Luckily, a portion (unspecified) of each sale will go to UNICEF, and as popular as the twins’ last handbag line was, it’s expected that this series will sell out despite the cost.

    Images: TooFab.com

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  • Artist Kills 9,000 Butterflies, Garners Backlash

    Artist Damien Hirst isn’t known for catering to animal lovers. In the past, he’s used a dead shark and a severed cow’s head to express his creativity, something which has garnered him both praise and criticism. Many think Hirst isn’t being creative at all, but the heart of the problem is that he’s using living or once-living creatures for his own advancement in the art world.

    Most recently, Hirst used over 9,000 butterflies in an installation at the Tate Modern, and while they insist that each variety was carefully selected “for their ability to thrive in the conditions created”–which included flying around two large, windowless rooms full of art patrons–over 400 butterflies died per week during the installation.

    PETA had something to say about it, releasing a statement about the deaths and Hirst’s disregard for living creatures:

    Damien Hirst’s quest to be edgy is as boring as it is callous. It does not matter whether Hirst killed the animals himself or sat by while thousands of them were massacred for his own unjustifiable amusement. Butterflies are beautiful parts of nature and should be enjoyed in the wild instead of destroyed for something predictable and unimaginative.

    Hirst has drawn criticism not just from animal rights groups, but from supporters of the arts who don’t believe he used good judgement this time around. As for Hirst, he says that he hired a butterfly expert at great personal expense to ensure the environment was “perfect” for them and even “resulted in many butterflies enjoying longer lifespans due to the high quality of the environment and food provided.”