Took this picture at a restaurant near Musee Guimet in Paris, while lunching with the museum director and his wife. =P (he took a toilet break when I took the photo ok..... must qualify first....)

There's just something about this picture, I can't quite pinpoint what it is - probably a combinaton of textures/elements, composition of the frame etc. Almost like a private moment in the midst of a business lunch. =)

Damien Hirst's latest creation - the diamond-studded skull. Combine a lot of whole diamonds with just about the world's most sought-after living contemporary artists (forget weird, they're all weird/bizarre/whatever), and you get THIS - Voila! Its US$100 million btw, sends you bleeding to the bank. Talk about scary/hauntingly beautiful........ *shiver*

Although, the piece is so shocking in so many ways, that it does make you gasp, catch your breathe for a moment, and then take a second look and continue to wonder - what's its point really?

Also brings up the question of what else contemporary art can come up with - on one hand, its terrific that the possibilities are endless with contemporary art, and just about anything can be considered art. Its extremely experiential and most of its pretty in-your-face. You dun need a whole lot of context to understand it, you just react to what's there, and that's really quite easy for the everyman to understand. Yet, when it gets just a tad too bizarre like this (trust me, I've seen some REALLY bizarre contemporary works), you wonder - is this considered art? so what's the point? I suppose that's the age-old modern vs contemporary art discussions (then throw in the chronology issues, and some post-colonial angst), which I'd rather not get into now. But it does make you wonder, and sometimes wonder if its really worth all that much.

Oh, btw Jeanette, I "dedicate" this one to you, man. *haha* diamonds, you know..... *chuckle*

Btw, up until the last year, I did not know who Damien Hirst was, much less that he's worth a whole lot of money, and isn't dead yet. *HA*