Damien Hirst: The First Look/ Thoughts, Work, Life.

 

When I saw the advert for Channel 4's take on Damien Hirst's exhibition at the Tate Modern in London (commencing from 4th April until 9th September 2012) I was genuinely quite excited. When I first saw Noel Fielding, however, I was not. OK, so we know him for his outrageously odd (or what some might call "quirky") sense of humour and his bold eye for colour, which ties in well with the non-conforming "punk" of an artist. I admit I was relieved to see his nerd-esque diamond skull ring with skull infused t-shirt, the nervous touching of his face and twizzling of hair, which proved that Fielding knew his place as a prior Art Student alongside the prestigious and affluent Hirst. Naturally, I expected some unusual questions with some informative answers from someone who obviously understood the importance of this man, but honestly? The first episode was rather embarrassing.

As a fan, comments like "I like the wonk" followed by an awkward silence, did not go down well. What is a "wonk", Noel? Is your name not supposed to mean the recognition and great celebration of one of the biggest religious festivals in the world?

So Fielding was undoubtedly a flop, but I gave the second episode a go hoping for better results. The mid-shot of the artist talking directly into the camera added to the personal meaning of his artwork, and overall catered, more so than the first episode, for the artist in me. The exploration of themes as well as a variety of resources (family videos, old photographs etc.) made for a more interesting programme. I was made aware of Hirst's intricate work surrounding butterflies, a concept I was not familiar with before, certainly artwork which is easier on the eye in contrast to the chopped up animals in formaldehyde. What struck me the most was Hirst's E at A-level art. Hirst also commented on the influence of his mother's hatred for her art teacher at school on his own work (I can relate to this, and maybe if I have children, one will be a genius and put me in a nice retirement home).

Despite Noel's abysmal attempt at interviewing Hirst, I certainly look forward to visiting his exhibition.