Jill Eats Art

This series began as a response to learning that Damien Hirst has killed over 900,000 living beings to make his artwork. These animal-beings have to be replaced regularly, as their bodies break down in the formaldehyde that fills the vitrines he has created. The Physical Impossibility Of Death In The Mind Of Someone Living, often referred to as The Shark, had to have a new shark killed to replace the one that was rotting just 9 years after the work was created. Seventeen sharks have been killed for his work, and there are rumors he keeps several 14-17 foot long sharks frozen for future replacements. 

Hirst is often criticized for contributing to the commodification of art. In my series Jill Eats Art, the collector sits in her kitchen, consuming the prestigious, luxury items that are her art collection. This is the ultimate signal of wealth - she is able to consume the works that have cost millions of dollars as a morning meal.