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From: Vestin Pance Category: Art Date: 17 July 2009 Time: 04:32 PM Review: Everyone but everyone seems to be harking back to the good old days of Moon Landings with Jeanette Witherspoon trying to get the world to see her through some gauzy moonlight on radio four where shes reading poetry, she introduces a poet who says "this poem uses night language because it is about the moon at night", I switch off then because to be truthful I did'nt hold a lot of hope but I thought I would give JW a fair go; but even I have limits to sonic torture. If poor Michael Jackson's repertoire continues to be used to bludgen my admittedly gauche sensibilities I will start suspecting that moonwalking is a part of a mass conspiracy to take our minds of the war, the economy or the Pig Flu. To switch my attention from those and other issues connected to my sleeping habits being disrupted by some deranged nutter tittering all night in the flat beneath where I'm staying - I thought it was the old "toot" fetching the giggles but I could'nt smell anything and then I noticed - yes they are genuine window lickers, I took recourse in the environs of Cork Street in London. To make myself feel bland I visited the Hearsts is it that way or Hirsts? whatever, it was like visiting a model aeroplane shop, sure I admired the Butterfly Mandalas and the versions of the Skull but everything about that place - Other Criteria Gallery - was disgusting with the snottiest possible attendant, curator, no attendant. It is difficult to imagine having that kind of disposable cash, five grand for a screen print is very cheap but there was plenty for fifty grand, and I thought about Warhol in the eighties, its forgotten now but he was'nt such a big deal in that part of his life and you have to imagine what the people around you might say if you said "Today I bought a Damien Hirst screenprint, come around and see it sometime", well they'ed think poor old Vestin he's obviously gone nuts, he's turning into a Grotowskian Clown, soon he'll be dressing up as a tortoise, and they'ed be right to be sceptical, I guess that's the difference between an honest criticism of a purchase because if I was a lot better off I would no doubt expect fawning chinless Grotowskian Clowns telling me what a marvellous sportsman I was for buying such a smucklitch. I feel that Hirst has reached that Warhol early eighties moment, everyone whose going to buy a Hirst for their heirloomage or their business has done so and now theres no resale value because he's still churning them out but until he kicks the bucket there's going to be little movement on the auctioneers hammer. Warhol is now something of an institution, his value is cast by the fact that he produced mountains of work, reams of prints more work than will ever be fully realized through capital in the auction houses and we are only now getting an opportunity to enjoy some of the idiosyncratic work, do try to go to Robert Sandleson Gallery in Cork Street, they are twice as po faced as at Other Criteria Gallery but if I saw myself walking into a gallery I know I would think "loser", a non sale ensues but I prefer that type of hard nosed reasoning than some one acting out an "ice cold poshness". At Robert Sandleson if you can gain entry you will find a very compelling exhibition , beautifully considered and expertly curated there we see the work of Munch who internalized his passion for woman until an expression not unlike that of a misogynist devoured his outward sensibilities and sent everyone home early to tidy their sock drawers. Then Warhol the party jezabel who saw absolutely everything as a commodity, even Munch. The framing, the lighting and the selection of work is really sensitive, you have to double take which are Warhols and which are Munch's . This show re contextualizes Warhol and bestows him with a unique ability, in some ways he completes the Munch's he copies or maybe he was parodying, I don't think so, this is not quite the same experience as the multiples, the endless reams of celebs and rockers this exhibition really shows a great deal off about both artists, it is very interesting and well executed.