It’s a little hard to tell the context of this comment by one of the art world’s luminaries. One way to read it is another slam at popular artists and critics simply because they’re popular. It comes from yet another story in the big press build up to Damien Hirst’s ‘comeback’ show opening in Venie this weekend:

“Damien is an astonishing survivor,” said Robert Storr, a curator, professor, critic and former dean of the Yale School of Art. “He’ll probably produce a spectacle, but I doubt it will be of lasting interest artistically. Unlike Jeff Koons, he rarely produces surprises anymore.” He added that while the public appetite for temporary exhibitions has grown, the audience for serious art has shrunk, and that the financially interested people like collectors and dealers are a very small group.

Then, again, Storr may just be extending his critique of the quality of art pursued by collectors.

Damien Hirst Is Back With an Underwater Fantasy. Will Collectors Care? (The New York Times)