Never has a so called "artwork" (not even Duchamp's Urinal)raised so many issues about what is art, what do we mean by value, talent, originality, authenticity, but let's not waste time on all that, lets just say "the most expensive emperor's new clothes of all time". Or even just " Crap" . You could say that it teaches us about the insanity of just how surplus value drives things in a world where people starve and poverty denies a child with a cleft palate the surgery that would give them a normal human face. But we know enough about that already. We also know that with globalisation we are seeing the end of a living critical tradition in the visual arts, popular music, etc . We know that however rich Damien gets and however clever he is supposed to be at manipulating the art market, he's just a boring cliche of a man, not an artist by any shareable definition of the word.

Pat Harvey, Bingley, West Yorkshire

"More than 8,500 ethically sourced diamonds"?
Where's the ethics in that, I don't know.

But "vulgar" and "bling" are unquestionable dimensions of that stupid idea.
"Cosmic indecency or decadence" rather than "wonder", I think.
I suggest they lock the maker and the buyers in another "high-security darkened chamber", for life, if possible.

And, please, please, don't tell me that my comment is just the kind of middle-class reaction the alleged artist wanted to cause.
In fact it was typical of bourgeois middle-class that "thousands queued for a two-minute viewing in a high-security darkened chamber".

Ronnie, PARIS, FRANCE

People in the world starving to death and we have something so absurd like this whats the world coming to Hirst is so wealthy he could have afforded to donate this item of art to the national museum .I hope that he does something positive with the money he has made on the purchase after all how do you spend 130 million plus?

oswald, koh phangan suratthani , Thailand

My reflection:
The grotesque becomes art, violence becomes currency, special interest becomes human rights, nature becomes a commodity, technology becomes science, governments become corporations and corporations become governments, hypocrisy become political correctness and humanity becomes inhuman.

Beta, Toronto,

Brilliant!

Mike, Pittsburgh,

Just think of the theatrical possibilites for that very special gala opening! -- "I knew him, Horatio: a fellow of infinite jest, of most expensive fancy". There's also a fantastic Lope de Vega sonnet for it too: "Esta calavera, cuando viva, tuvo / sobre la arquitectura de estos huesos, / carne y cabellos, por quien tuvo presos / los ojos que mirándola detuvo .....";

Oh, memento mori indeed! Sed in luxuria!

eugene, heidelberg, germany

If an artist has an idea which is based on the old artistic theme of the memento mori, has a platinum model made from a found skull and employs a team of technicians to apply the diamonds, to what extent can he be called an artist? Emperor's new clothes.

KJ, Estepona, Spain

just goes to show, there's an ass for every saddle.

Tommy, Colorado Springs, Colorado USA

Er, has anyone noticed that Hirst is a businessman not an artist? When you buy a load of diamonds and sell them at a profit, that's just commerce. He doesn't do art; he just does capitalism.
Remember that programme some time ago on 'Brit Art-ists'? The mic. picked up his conversation as he talked to others and it wasn't about art or ideas - it was just about how much he was selling stuff for... Sterile business-speak.

cath, london,

all kudos to damien hirst, for creating, and reaping the benefits from, the largest con in the history of art. well played sir!

sean, liverpool,

To me a part of this work was infact the asking price. In Hirst's words it is a comment on mortality in the modern world, and by its context, it is also a comment on ego in the modern world. I think Hirst gets the last laugh here. Remember all those 19th century paintings of a man's baubles that had a skull and a candle? I think that is what "For The Love Of God" is all about

Whoever the buyer is, they bought into the message of this work by agreeing to pay the exuberant full asking price, and by agreeing to display the work in public (thus confirming the ego element). I think the ego effect would even be reinforced by the buyers desire to remain anonymous, and somewhat aloof in that way.

Likewise, coverage of the sale in the media must be an important element of the work, as a self fulfilling element of the message , and the work's success in communicating it.

Fantastic job Mr Hirst. Mortality and ego, packaged and sold at £50m.

William Broadmore, London, UK

Funny isn't it! Damien sells his stunt for £50 million, and what does he do with the money? Well, you may not know it but Mr Hirst actually makes investments in the Art market too: Classical Antiquities. Someones putting their money in the wrong place.

Arnold Attard, Brighton, UK