New Media Representations Damien Hirst The horrible things

New Media Representations: Damien Hirst “The horrible things in life make the beautiful things possible and more beautiful. ” 1

Enduring Understanding Students will understand that… the use of ready-mades and other media have created new approaches to art and expanded its definition. 2

Essential Questions Overarching 1) How did technological advances affect art? 2) What are the issues and concerns surrounding new media and its representational mechanisms? Topical 1) What is life and death? 2) How can “Momento Mori” be portrayed in an artwork? 3

5 W 1 H How Paintings Sculptures Ready-mades Why Background Beliefs When 1965 Where England Damien Hirst Which Young British Artists Conceptual Art What Death & Life 4

Bio-Data 1965: Born in Bristol, England. Took a foundation course at Leeds School of Art and Design before applying for college. 1986 -89: Studied Fine Arts in Goldsmiths, University of London. 5

When Mid 1960 s-70 s 1960 s 1992 Conceptual Art Minimalism Fluxus Saatchi Gallery featuring the Young British Artists 6

Where Britain n Charles Saatchi Advertising magnate of Saatchi and Saatchi. He and his brother formed another agency after being ousted from the first, called M&C Saatchi. An ardent art collector and owner of Saatchi Gallery. Sponsors the YBA. 7

Spot Painting Controlled Substances Key Painting 3” Spot, 1994 Household gloss on canvas, 92 x 92 cm 8

Spin Painting Beautiful I’ve Been Spirited Away Painting, 2005 Household gloss on canvas, 61 x 91. 4 cm 9

His Paintings Spot Paintings q Randomly organized. q They are coloured spotted canvases. q Named after pharmaceutical chemicals. Spin Paintings q Painted on a spinning table. q The work is created through a centrifugal force. 10

What q. A cow’s head q Flies emerged from maggots. q The flies feed on the carcass. q They get zapped by the insect-o-cutor. q It is a presentation of life and death. 11

A Thousand Years, 1990 Steel, glass, flies, maggots, MDF, insect-o-cutor, cow's head, sugar, water 213 x 427 x 213 cm Charles Saatchi 12

Isolated Elements Swimming in the Same Direction for the Purpose of Understanding, 1991 MDF, melamine, wood, steel, glass, perspex cases (39), fish (39) and 5% formaldehyde solution, 182. 9 x 274. 3 x 25. 4 cm 13

What q. A cabinet of fish species. q Each fish is suspended in formaldehyde. q It worked somewhat like his spot paintingsan arrangement of colour, shape and form. q The work came to be seen as advanced art- People become fascinated with how ordinary things of the world can be arranged to be viewed as beautiful. 14

The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, 1991. Glass, steel, silicone, shark and 5% formaldehyde solution 213. 4 x 640. 1 x 213. 4 cm 15 Saatchi Collection, London

What A tiger shark immersed in formaldehyde in a vitrine. n A vitrine is a glass case for displaying delicate or valuable objects. n The shark was caught by a commissioned fisherman. n It was caught in Australia n 16

Untitled, 1992. Drug bottles in cabinet, 61 x 101. 6 x 22. 9 cm White Cube 17

Pharmacy, 1992. Installation Cohen gallery, New York 18

What n n n A site-specific installation, He used glass fronted cabinets usually found in labaratory or hospital. The cabinets are stacked with pharmaceutical drugs and other objects. The drugs on the shelves are arranged to model the body- medicines from the top shelves are for the head, the middle shelves for the stomach and those at the bottom for the legs and feet. A system that represents itself, possibly, a belief in structuring or redeeming life. 19

Mother and Child Divided, 1993. Steel, GRP composites, glass, silicone sealants, cow, calf, formaldehyde solution Astrup Fearnley Museum, Oslo 20

Mother and Child Divided 21

Away from the Flock, 1994 Steel, glass, lamb, formaldehyde solution, 96 x 149 x 51 cm Charles Saatchi 22

For the Love of God , 2007. Platinum and 8601 diamonds White Cube Gallery A “Momento Mori” piece. What is the irony? 23

Which Young British Artists q Also known as Brit artists and Britart. q A group of conceptual artists based in UK. q Most attended Goldsmiths College in London. q It derived from the show at Satchi Gallery in 1992 known as Young British Artists. q They are noted for their “shock tactics”, using throwaway materials and wild-life. 24

Which Conceptual Art q An art form where the idea and concept comes before the artwork. Minimalism q Art forms are stripped down to their most fundamental features. q As a movement in the arts, it is usually identified with the developments in post-war (WWII) from the mid 1960 s to the 70 s. q An example would be the minimalist approach of his vitrine. q He has said; “What I really like is minimum effort for maximum effect. ” 25

What Subject Matter q Animals- the fragility of biological existence. q Vitrines- function as both windows and barriers. q Medicine and drugs- an ineffectual alternative to death, somewhat delusional in the part of mankind. Theme q The processes of life and death. q The inevitability of death- in your face! (The fact that we are all mortals). q Uncertainties in human experience- death, life, love, betrayal and loyalty. 26

Why Background n Hirst was wild and rebellious as a young adult- admitted to drug and alcohol abuse but managed to quit them later in life, paying the price of an estranged relationship with his wife. n Hirst worked in a mortuary when he was a student in Goldsmith. It could have been an influence to his theme of death. n When his good friend Joe Strummer (former lead singer of The Clash) died of a heart attack, the incident left Hirst saying “It was the first time I felt mortal. ” 27

Why Influence by Francis Bacon q British artist (1909 -1992) q Bacon’s treatment of space- claustrophobic and cubical frame that encases a nightmarish and horrendous focus. For titles, please refer to Power. Point slides on Bacon 28

Why Influence by Jeff Koons q American artist born in 1955. q Koons like to suspend things in tanks and encasing them. Three Ball 50/50 Tank , 1955. by Jeff Koons Glass, painted steel, distilled water, plastic, and three basketballs, 154 x 123. 9 x 33. 6 cm 29

Why Intention q To make people frightened of what they already know and question q “Momento Mori” (also see next slide). A Latin phrase translated“Remember that you are mortal” “Remember you will die” “Remember that you must die”. It names a genre of artistic creation as in Hirst’s works with the purpose of reminding us of our own mortality. 30

Momento Mori Triptych of Earthly Vanity and Divine Salvation , c. 1485. by Hans Memling. Oil on oak panel, 22 x 15 cm for each. Musée des Beaux-Arts, Strasbourg. 31

How He does… q Paintings Eg: The spot and spin paintings. q Cabinet Sculptures q And the glass tank works. q He uses assistants, one of the first is Carl Freedman, who helped in the first vitrines. q The volume of work now necessitates a “factory set-up” like that of Warhol’s. 32

How Materials Animals- animals he uses are purchased from slaughterhouses, and many have died of natural causes. n Vitrine- minimalist and geometric, easy to contain and objectify his subject matter. n Formaldehyde- as a preservative. n Everyday objects- table and chair seen in The Acquired Inability to Escape. n 33

Damien Hirst Word Bank Conceptual art Minimalistic Shocking Controversial Life & Death Vitrines Medical Pharmacuticals Formaldehyde Dead animals Momento mori Site-specific installation Read-mades 34

References http: //www. whitecube. com/artists/hirst/ 35