Page 125 - International Iconic July 2024

D AMIEN
HIRST

ne of the most popular artists of the present times, Hirst’s work for the show, titled The Physical Impossibility
Damien Hirst is known for extraordinarily bold creations of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, was an installation with
O that often leave the viewers in shock and awe. Born in a tiger shark in formaldehyde in a vitrine. Probing the entwined
Bristol in 1965, Hirst grew up with a keen interest in drawing and relationship between the themes of art, science, and faith, his
also took classes. Later, after working on building sites in London other piece from this ‘Natural History’ series, titled ‘Mother and
for two years, he enrolled in Goldsmiths College to study Fine Art Child Divided,’ won him the Turner Prize in 1995.
in 1986. It was during his days here that Hirst first encountered Through the course of the 1990s, Hirst experimented with a
success with an independent student exhibition titled ‘Freeze’. myriad of subjects in his work, such as the theme of smoking as
Apart from being the main organiser, he also contributed with well as his enquiry into the pharmaceuticals objects, which led to
a cluster of cardboard boxes painted with household paint. his Pharmacy restaurant artwork in London’s Notting Hill in 1998.
Famously visited by influential collectors, including Charles Among others of his widely collected pieces are his colourful
Saatchi and Nicholas Serota, Director of the Tate Museums at the series, such as Butterfly paintings executed with butterflies, his
time, this show became an important juncture in the subsequent Spot paintings and Spin paintings, both of which he began doing
development of Young British Artists (YBAs), which dominated the in the mid-1990s. Hirst’s exploration of life and nature has also
art scene in the UK in the 1990s. led to the creation of several landmark sculptures executed with

“The spot paintings and spin paintings were trying to find

mechanical ways to make paintings.”

Since the start of his career, Hirst was influenced by the reality precious metals and depicting leviathans, gods, and heroes in
of death, and his intrigue was further exaggerated after working colossal form.
at a mortuary as a student. Works by Irish-born British figurative In 2007, Hirst once again astonished the art world with what
painter Francis Bacon, known for his unnerving imagery, also is touted to be his most famously recounted work, a platinum-
served as an inspiration in Hirst’s formative years. cast human skull studded with 8,601 diamonds titled ‘For the
The artist’s first major creature installation, titled ‘A Thousand Love of God’. The overt sensationalism and a penchant for self-
Years’, was showcased in one of the two “warehouse” shows he promotion have also made Hirst controversy’s favourite child and
organised with his artist friends in 1990. A glass cage containing have generated a strong response from his critics. However, at the
flies and maggots feeding off a cow’s head, the work both stunned same time, his unrestrained aesthetic instinct and unique artistic
and repulsed the critics. After showcasing his works in several sensibility have been integral in redefining the meaning of art in
group shows, including the Emmanuel Perrotin Gallery in Paris, the contemporary era.
Hirst had his first solo exhibition titled ‘In and Out of Love’ in 1991. The artist’s works are exhibited in numerous museums
At the same time, with the support of Charles Saatchi, the first worldwide, including the Tate Modern, London, the Astrup
exhibition by Young British Artists was held in 1992. Fearnley Collection, Oslo, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.