Damien Hirst Bristol, UK, b. 1965
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For his renowned butterfly paintings, Damien Hirst employed thousands of vibrant butterfly wings to create monumental works that evoke the grandeur of stained-glass windows, where fragility and extravagant color come together to form a circular ornamental mosaic. Within his broader body of work, these butterfly pieces embody Hirst’s central theme: an exploration of life, death, and beauty through the juxtaposition of materials, symbols, and layered metaphors.
The dazzling symmetry of Hirst's Rose Window, achieved through the precise arrangement of butterflies on metallic paint on canvas, directly alludes to the medieval rose window of Durham Cathedral, the central church of the Diocese of Durham in the UK. This magnificent window, measuring 27.5 meters in circumference, was originally glazed in the 15th century by Richard Pickering. It depicts Christ surrounded by the apostles, with a detailed design crafted from red, blue, and white glass, accented with shades of yellow. The separate panes, arranged in a geometric pattern, create the illusion of radiating lines that converge at the center, resembling spokes in a wheel. The overall effect is a perfect circle, symbolizing wholeness and completeness.
Exhibitions
Damien Hirst. Gary Tatintsian Gallery, Moscow. Mar 31—Jun 1, 2017Damien Hirst. Tate Modern, London, 2012
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