October 12, 2009
Beauty, as they say, is in the eye of the beholder. And I find nothing beautiful or desirable about this bag by artist Tom Sachs. As he sees it, nothing beats the Hermès Kelly bag. “It’s the holy grail of handbags,” he said. “There’s no bag beyond it.”
Apparently his knock off version is beyond it– fashioned from hardware-store supplies for added durability at a cost of $12,000 (way more expensive than the birkin and kelly at Hermes). You can find it for sale at Larry Gagosian’s new Madison Avenue shop. What do you think of it? I vote slob!
Photo: Rob McKeever, courtesy Gagosian Gallery
This is satorial mess indeed.
Is he serious?!
I do not see any resmblance with the Kelly at all. Therefore, there is no comparison to be made.
Slob!
Sorry this looks like a POS
SLOB!
HE MUST BE NUTS. HORRIBLE!
I think as a statment and work of art it is a wry comment on the inflated values of contemporary art and fashion. Artist’s signatures are like a brand label bestowing the value, so he prominently and conspicuously signs the piece.
Beauty is only one criteria for a work of art to judged by. His choice of materials leads me to believe that beauty was never his goal.
Art can be ugly and in your face and challenge what you value most. Think outside the bag!
Another clue to the artist’s intent is his use of the phrase ” Holy Grail”. There is a long tradition of artist as iconoclast. Duchamp put a moustache on the Mona Lisa in “LHOOQ”. Not to forget Andres Serrano’s work Piss Christ..In fact it is almost a requisite that contemporary artists lampoon what is revered.
A Hermes bag is a work of consumate craftmanship. Tom Sachs piece is a work of art and to call it a “knock off” sold in a “shop” is a gros misrepresentation.
Ok I am done now.
Gross misrepresentation, nothing. It’s a bad, rather tired piece that is lazy in both intention and execution. Frankly, if you have to think that hard about it, or point out this piece’s meaning and significance to people who looked for themselves and then commented, you’re fighting a losing battle. If indeed “it is almost a requisite that contemporary artists lampoon what is revered” then Mr Sachs needs a new schtick.
I didn’t say it was necessarily good art.
Erm……What the fook?
Slob!
exactly. “Slob” is just a euphemism