apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time


Hilarious But True: Damien Hirst Gets Knocked Off

101909_diamondskull.jpgDo you remember that big fuss over Damien Hirst's $100 million dollar diamond-encrusted skull? When it came out, there were mixed reviews--some people loved it, others found it...well, shall we say, ridiculous. However, a dear friend of ours (you may remember him from his top 5 essentials list) sent us a link of what appears to be a cheap knockoff of Hirst's multi-million dollar art piece...

 
 

...by none other than Z Gallerie. For $24.95, you can have a knock-off of a multi-million dollar art piece for your living room this Halloween.

Read more about Damien Hirst's diamond skull art here; and just in case you're interested in getting the Z Gallerie version, you can get it here.

(Images: New York Times, Z Gallerie)

Tags

holiday, Z Gallerie, Damien Hirst, diamond skull, weird art

Related Links

Share

Comments (19)

They have the knock off at Micheals craft stores.

posted by Icanmakeit on October 19th 2009 at 8:30am
view Icanmakeit's profile

There must be a market for the general design that can't quite afford Hirst's price point.

posted by KWorld on October 19th 2009 at 8:38am
view KWorld's profile

Martha's on it. http://tinyurl.com/ykgow7k

posted by kdka on October 19th 2009 at 9:13am
view kdka's profile

It is so vastly different I wouldn't call it a knockoff, just another faddish skull decoration. "Fuss" seems to be an essential aspect of Hirst's work. I do love the title of his autobiography.

posted by Kate (NC) on October 19th 2009 at 9:20am
view Kate (NC)'s profile

There is actually an intermediate step, but the artist' name escapes me... an artist who meticulously crafts three-dimensional items (skulls among them) from individually-linked crystals. That work is QUITE amazing... since the form itself seems to have no support.

There are also these...
http://swarovskicrystalhumanskullart.com/

Personally, I'd go with...
http://crystalheadvodka.com/

posted by patrick (the other one) on October 19th 2009 at 9:53am
view patrick (the other one)'s profile

There is a long tradition of decorated skulls and such, just think of the Day of the Dead celebrations in many cultures.
Danien Hirst's piece is a knock off of that...

posted by zapzap on October 19th 2009 at 11:39am
view zapzap's profile

I can never understand why people aren't patient enough to save up for the real thing... instead of junk.

posted by StudioStarter on October 19th 2009 at 11:46am
view StudioStarter's profile

Hey Patrick! Where have you been? I just looked up that vodka head myself because one has been tempting me at the liquor store. But priced beyond whim. Looked up the website and felt rather put off by the Dan Ackroyd spiel. Still, the glass is pretty and that would make a nice Halloween treat or birthday present for that person who has everything. Like it better than the glitter. Plus you can serve drinks at a dinner party.

posted by Kate (NC) on October 19th 2009 at 11:53am
view Kate (NC)'s profile

OK chain stores have been carrying rhinestone skulls for a long time. This idea isn't incredibly original to begin with and how is this a knock-off exactly? Because it's a skull? Please.

posted by valleyval on October 19th 2009 at 11:53am
view valleyval's profile

that skull vodka is amazing--way better than the Avon Lincoln head perfume bottle I saw the other day.

posted by jen_g on October 19th 2009 at 11:58am
view jen_g's profile

OMG! WANT!

I saw a "diamond" encrusted skull in a Met Home mag around spring with one just like the ZGallery one... it was a dusty-blue/gray room, very soothing and then the skull on the nightstand just pumped everything from stylish but blah-ish to slightly perverted and VERY interesting... like the owner of that home knew something visitors didn't. lol... Personally, if I didn't have much money for decorating and didn't want 1000 things on my wall, this one thing would definitely make a statement and if light hits it right, would sprinkle the surrounding walls with sparkles... but could it ever become a design classic? No... it's a freaking fake skull with shiny things on it people, it's just for fun... I personally think tho, now that it's mass-marketed, it sort of looses the interesting factor.

posted by Djluckyonline on October 19th 2009 at 11:59am
view Djluckyonline's profile

You can MAKE this with
*A foam skull from ANY craft store
*A baggie of rhinestones
*A hot glue gun

posted by FrauKeiser on October 19th 2009 at 2:06pm
view FrauKeiser's profile

Funny. I personally wouldn't want to use that to decorate for halloween.

posted by RBOttawa on October 19th 2009 at 2:51pm
view RBOttawa's profile

There was this little incident awhile ago as well:
http://redragtoabull.com/acatalog/Books.html

posted by insub2 on October 19th 2009 at 4:10pm
view insub2's profile

I don't consider this a "knock off." The Damian Hirst is made out of a REAL human skull and uses REAL diamonds. I suspect the Z Gallery is all plastic....

posted by Haruki on October 19th 2009 at 5:07pm
view Haruki's profile

Just how many people can "save up" to pay $100 million for a diamond-encrusted anything? Yes, the rhinestone one is junky-looking, but the prices are so vastly disparate that the complaint makes no sense.

posted by slowdown on October 19th 2009 at 5:19pm
view slowdown's profile

[cue the Nelson Muntz laugh]
HA-ha!

posted by londonverve on October 19th 2009 at 6:21pm
view londonverve's profile

This skull is on my mantle year-long. Yep, super tacky but I love it. I also have a large silver horse head on my coffee table as a nod to The Godfather. Gotta have some whimsy in the house.

posted by sasharenee on October 19th 2009 at 7:18pm
view sasharenee's profile

haruki- i was joking. I guess my comment doesn't come off that way.

posted by StudioStarter on November 19th 2009 at 3:18pm
view StudioStarter's profile

Feeds

RSS icon Los Angeles

+ City Feeds