Critical eye

A very recent work by artist Damien Hirst has been all too rapidly binned by self-made critic and cleaner Emmanuel Asare. The Eyestorm Gallery, Maddox Street, London W1 (off Regent Street) had set ready their window with Hirst’s installation (untitled) valued at some £5,000 only, and composed of overloaded ashtrays, soft drinks cans, paper coffee cups, sweetwrappers, beer bottles and other ephemera, piled on high. Asare, of the independent-minded body of critics (‘I know what I don’t like’) took less than three minutes of contract time to deconstruct the assemblage for the bin. Fortunately, gallery staff had taken the precaution of photographing Hirst’s new installation, and a hasty recourse to the bin and faithful reconstruction soon saw the work re-installed. It is rumoured that Asare is currently being solicited by the BBC Newsnight ‘Late Review’, which has a spare slot for an art critic. Watch both spaces, and check the art bins.