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.