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In a piece in today's New York Times about the conspicuous art consumption of inconspicuous billionaire Steven "Stevie" Cohen, Landon Thomas Jr. and Carol Vogel write that among his Jackson Pollocks, Manets, Monets, Warhols, and Lichtensteins, is his latest collectible:

And most recently, in what may be a wink at his reputation for being one of Wall Street's predatory traders, he paid $8 million for the British artist Damien Hirst's 14-foot tiger shark, submerged in a tank of formaldehyde.

But it's not entirely clear (no pun intended) if that's what the shark is submerged in. Two weeks ago, New York Magazine reported:

[T]he fourteen-foot tiger shark, which Hirst cut in half and displayed in formaldehyde, has been showing signs of deterioration. In 1993, Hirst called in Oliver Crimmen, curator of fish at London s Natural History Museum. He wanted advice because it was shrinking, says Crimmen. I recommended deep-injecting formaldehyde directly into the internal organs. They spoke again in 2003. The fluid was going cloudy, says Crimmen. I m sure it wasn t deep-injected initially. So what to do? He would transfer it to alcohol, which would stabilize it for over 100 years, but without a greenish tint. Hirst s company didn t return calls, but a source close to Cohen says the shark s in good hands: He consulted with several conservators before the purchase.

So, what does an $8 million shark prefer to swim in? Inquiring minds want to know.

A New Prince of Wall Street Buys Up Art [NYT]
Shark Woes [NYM]