Hirst chose to use only the iridescent butterfly wings in his work – stripping the butterflies from their thorax and abdomen. This promise of life and resurrection is illustrated in the physical life of a butterfly- laid out for the viewer to admire the permanence or hopeful ephemeral aspect of death. This religious sentiment is conveyed within the title of his work “The Crown of Life”- referring directly to a line in the Bible which states that those who remain steadfast and love God will be blessed to receive the crown of life. Reminiscent of the religious iconography of stained glass, some of his pieces reference already existing windows in churches throughout London. Hirst joined a long line of artists from Egyptians to Renaissance painters in depicting these insects. Hirst began using butterflies as a medium in the early part of his career, describing the insect as ‘universal triggers’ in a sense that ‘everyone is frightened of glass, everyone’s frightened of sharks, everyone loves butterflies’. His series of Kaleidoscopes wasn’t the first to include butterflies he has previously created other installation paintings.ĭamien Hirst’s Kaleidoscope series is a modern retropective of the spiritual cycle of life while providing a masked reality of animal cruelty through a visually alluring display of colour contrasts and detailed patterns. Their titles often reference to Christian iconography. The Kaleidoscope paintings reference the spiritual symbolism of the butterfly, used by the Greeks to depict Psyche, the soul, and in Christian imagery to signify the Resurrection. Works from the Kaleidoscope series were first exhibited as part of ‘Romance in the Age of Uncertainty’, at White Cube in 2003. They are made by arranging thousands of different coloured butterfly wings in an intricate geometric pattern on top of oil paint. It was inspired by a Victorian tea tray that he found on one of his research outings. Hirst’s first Kaleidoscope painting was created in 2001. His recurring themes have included the fragility of life, society’s reluctance to confront death, and the nature of love and desire, often dressed in titles which exist somewhere between the naive and hypocritical.The artist explores death in a way that either shocks his audience in it’s barbaric gore or makes the viewer question their morals as they admire luxurious and evocative truth that his works provide. The use of dead animals is a frequent theme in Hirst’s installations, confronting viewers to consider their own and society’s attitudes to death. Yet how does one define the line between freedom of expression, and the needless killing of innocent animals for the shock value and publicity? The works of Damien Hirst support this discussion – his works interpreted as either contentiously pushing the boundaries or brilliantly addressing prevalent issues and ideas in the world he and the audience share.īritish contemporary artist Damien Hirst’s works are essentially built upon the essential dilemmas that surround human existence. Artists who use animals for their own personal expression seek to address a perspective that confronts the viewer and ignites discussion that would not be achieved without a shocking use of medium. While some see the exploitation of animals in art as ‘unethical’ and ‘offensive’ through its barbarity, others look past the physical presence of animals and contemplate the symbolic meaning behind the work. Yet now with the growing acceptance of self expression and testing of social boundaries, the luxury of freedom that comes with contemporary art has reduced animals to a material- as inanimate as paint or clay. The human mind having an intense fascination for them since the first known cave paintings 40,000 years ago. Since artists have traditionally used animals to portray religious rituals, mythical creatures, incarnations of gods and goddesses, symbolically in Christian art or simply as beloved pets.
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