At ARCO, Eugenio Moreno is getting a lot of attention for his sculpture mocking Damien Hirst’s rapacity. The conceit is that Hirst, always looking to increase his prices, has decided to kill himself to further his success. Meanwhile, back in London, redragtoabull.com artists are making their own hay off Hirst. They claim to be defying Hirst’s bullying tactics after the artist sued a 16-year-old who quoted his crystal skull image.
Here’s how Arifa Akbar describes their motives: “Creators of the website redragtoabull.com, who include Jimmy Cauty, a former member of KLF, Jamie Reid, best known for designing the Sex Pistols’ “God Save The Queen” single cover, and artist Billy Childish, have produced a series of skull images which flouts copyright regulations and deliberately provokes one of the most powerful – and richest – artists alive.”
The Telegraph points to this statement on the site: “In a tongue in cheek pledge on the website www.redragtoabull.com they have promised to raise £20 million from the sale of their Hirst-inspired art to make an exact replica of his diamond skull.”
God Save the Damien Hirst Rip-Off Industry (Independent)
Artists Flout Copyright Law to Attack Damien Hirst (Telegraph)
