This man paints doors for a living.
He's Gary Hume, one of the original "Young British Artists" in Damien Hirst's famous Freeze show in 1988, and on PM, with Nigel Wrench, this evening. Nigel writes:
"For twenty years now, Mr Hume has been painting glossy versions of the same set of hospital doors (at St Bart's in London, which oddly enough, featured in my report on a Brazilian theatre company last week).
A mini-retrospective of these works opens on Saturday at Modern Art Oxford. The catalogue says, "The paintings of Gary Hume challenge us not to be seduced". You may smile, but the shiny surfaces are oddly alluring.
Above is Black Door With Sash (2006). Mr Hume says he imagines it like a general on parade.
And below is More ****ing Values (1991 - 2008), (censorship mine, by the way, it'll be a bleep if it features on the radio). 
The door pictures sell for six-figure sums, in case you're thinking of getting one for the front room. They were installing them in the marvellous soaring space that is Modern Art Oxford when I was there yesterday.
The woman in the white t-shirt on the left is Suzanne Cotter, director of the gallery and a Turner Prize judge this year. Gary Hume is on the left at the back, helping to hold up Brown Door (1988).
And finally:
Something I took at first to be an installation, but turned out simply to be a lift they're using to place the works on the walls. You just never know with contemporary art, do you?"
Listen to PM
© MMX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~12~RS~)
Comments
Sign in or register to comment.
Eddie - tell that bloke I think his doors are ****!
Complain about this comment
Was I dreaming when I heard on the Today programme this morning that somebody has inadvertently donated a Damien Hirst print to a charity shop in Surrey?
I wonder if the volunteers will spot that it's a great work of art(?) or throw it out with the unsaleable stuff ;o)
Complain about this comment
Does he ever paint anything else? I can see that getting a perfect gloss requires skill and might be quite therapeutic, I could even concede that a single exhibition of doors in different colours might be interesting. But to keep doing it for twenty years sounds obsessive and rather boring. I look forward to hearing why I should be interested.
Complain about this comment
Remember the pile of bricks? And all those canvases in the Tate by another artist, which were basically painted a single colour (can't remember the artist's name now)?
It reminds me of Sarah Beeny suggesting to a would be property developer that they could paint a few canvases in single colours and use these as focal points in their rooms. At least she had a sense of irony about it.
Complain about this comment
The more I look at those doors the more I think the man has missed his vocation.
Complain about this comment
I'm surprised Nigel can't find something a little more interesting and suited to radio to cover.
Complain about this comment
Big Sister (4) I'm relieved to see that Nigel has also retained his sense of irony, as seen in his final comment.
I was very concerned about his state of mind when he referred to the allure of the shiny surfaces ;o)
(Mind you, I type as one who loved the Tate's crack in the floor!)
Complain about this comment
Anne P (3) and Big Sister (5)
Considering Gary Hume sells his doors for six-figure sums, I'd say that he's found a brilliant way to make a living!
Complain about this comment
What is art?
Complain about this comment
As deep a question, Joe, as 'What is life?'
Complain about this comment
I thought the radio this morning said that Chris Evans had inadvertently left Damien Hirst in a charity shop...
Maybe he's helping out on the till.
Complain about this comment
Oh yes, MGL, it was indeed Mr. Evans, a well known local celeb (forgive the irony!) and innkeeper.
Am I setting off hotfoot for Godalming/Cranleigh? I rather think not, just as I am not looking at my doors in an artistic way.
Complain about this comment
You were only supposed to blow the ******* doors off!
Complain about this comment
I've just noticed that Mr. Hume and A.N. Other (in the last picture) both have their jean bottoms turned up - Is this a new trend, or do they, like me, find that the legs of jeans these days are very, very long?
Complain about this comment
Joe @ 9, art is whatever anyone apart from the police says is art.
If the police say it is an obscene publication, then it's material for a court case instead of art.
Its cash value is either whatever someone is prepared to pay for it, or else it is beyond price. That makes life easy: whichever it is, you won't be able to buy it. :-)
Complain about this comment
Joe (9) - isn't it
*what you can get away with*
Complain about this comment
Excellent blog (as Roberto says).
I think Nigel's final picture is the best.
For a good gloss finish, doors should be placed flat before being painted. Perhaps a coat of varnish would do the trick for Nigel's picture.
Complain about this comment
Chris (15) So what is it if the police say that it is art?
H.
Complain about this comment
Chris (15)
I thought that was just how they used earn a little pocket money. It always seems to become art again a few years after they confiscate it. Then they can sell it at more than its face value.
Complain about this comment
Quote "Gary Hume is on the left at the back, helping to hold up Brown Door (1988)" Unquote
Thank you Eddie. At last I can now say I know what those footballing pundits are saying when they blather on about "Early Doors"
Can I apologise to all involved for the trouble caused by such ignorance on my part but I honestly thought they meant Ms Diana Dors (bless her) before she put on a little weight and took character parts in "Minder"! She was class in both periods of her Dor painting roles.
"Whatever happened to Alan Lake?" Oh yes - unfortunately no longer with us.
Starsky and rabbit, rabbit!
David had Soul today it seemed. About the glass darkly for this new Door - Call in Paul. Michaels glaizer proved faulty perhaps?
Complain about this comment
14
You are breaking my heart. You mean you've got little legs? But,but,but,....., I thought you were BIG, sister, really big!
'Cos the jeans are getting shorter, sister, not longer.
Nowadays you can't buy jeans as long as 36 inch inside leg from Wr*ngl*rs.
You use to be able to, but not now.
God alone knows why, since there are more really tall people around these days, little sister.
Complain about this comment
pmL: As a teenager, I always had difficulty finding jeans (and trousers) that were long enough for me, but since the fashion for wearing heels with jeans, etc., leg lengths of women's jeans and trousers have become much much longer. I think other female froggers will know what I'm on about .....
I don't mind being a little sister. I'm not size-ist ;o)
Complain about this comment
Never trust a bloke who wears sandals - especially without socks!
Complain about this comment
Oh, Jo, it's the ones who wear them WITH socks that I don't trust .....
after all, your comment could apply to some of the world's great heros - think Gandhi, Mandela, and of course Jesus.
Complain about this comment
Big Sister 14
1.Are you vertically challenged?
2.Give up wearing jeans.
Although you may not be of 'mature years' it is my opinion that folk of 'middle/mature years' do not look their best in denim. The patch pockets make rear ends look larger than they are.
Complain about this comment
ystavani (20) You are slipping. I understood every word. New leaf? She was a very fine actress, particularly in her later years. Did some terrific stuff on black and white TV.
Complain about this comment
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
Eddie
I've just glossed our front door - wouldn't say no to any offers if any listener's interested.
By the way, I've a piece of old rope here too, if anyone would like to throw any money at it.
Complain about this comment
Re your report on CORWM
I see the Government are planning to bribe local authorities throught the UK with billions of pounds to accept the underground storage of nuclear waste with their area. A journalist friend of mine returned recently from a visit to Chernoyble and spoke about the 30 KM
Zone of Alienation around the accident site. This is the most polluted nuclear site in the world and be so almost for eternity. It strkes me that rather than creating nuclear dumps in areas of the world which are currenlly unpolluted why not offer the Ukranian government these billions to store our (and the rest of the world's waste where it can't possibility do any more harm than has alreasy be done. This way the Ukrainians could generate much needed foreign reserves to compensate the 300,000 people who were affected by the original disaster.
Complain about this comment
Whatever anyone says about this 'artist' and the media coverage he receives, the real fools are those who part with six-figure sums to buy the doors.
I'm off to the local DIY store for a new paintbrush and a door.
Complain about this comment
"More ****ing Values (1991 - 2008)"
*Seventeen years* to paint that? Is he subcontacting it to a snail?
Complain about this comment
View these comments in RSS