A Dutch artist by the name of Diddo has followed in the YBA star's footsteps, casting a sculpture in the shape of a life-size human skull. Yet if you look closely, you'll notice a certain illicit white substance crumbling from the base of the piece. Yup, that is cocaine.
Just to summarize, Diddo's sculpture, entitled "Ecce Animal," is made of a concoction of gelatin and cocaine, because art is edgy like that. Although Diddo did not test the cocaine himself, he made certain it was the real deal with some handy lab tests, which revealed the coke was 15% to 20% pure. Due to a binding non-disclosure agreement with the work's patron, Diddo is unable to reveal any details regarding the work's price or worth.
Diddo, who is also not allowed to disclose the piece's mysterious benefactor, insists the illicit sculpture is not a straight-forward commentary on the destructive forces of addiction. Rather, the piece is an open-ended meditation on our animal instincts as human beings, and what happens in today's society when such instincts are no longer needed.
"I don’t want to over-intellectualize," Diddo explained to Bullett Magazine, "but it’s the fusion of two icons that provokes thought and discussion on the nature of man. Specifically, about his creation of, and participation in, a society which echoes his own tendency to lose control."
Diddo juxtaposes our animalistic core with the temptations of contemporary society to explore the forces battling inside us all. On his website, the piece is accompanied by a poem of the same title, which contains parallel sentiments including: "It is frightening to look at the face of our animal side laid bare by comfortable excess; the spoils of its aggression."
What do you think, readers? Does Diddo have the poetic and conceptual chops to substantiate his unorthodox artistic medium? Or is this simply a very pricey, Hirst-esque shock tactic that fails to make a lasting impact? Take a look and let us know your thoughts.
