Image ofDamien Hirst

Damien Hirst

Sculptor, Painter or Photographer

Damien Steven Hirst (born 7 June 1965) is an English artist and a leading figure of the Young British Artists. He is best known for installations featuring preserved animals in formaldehyde, spot paintings, and conceptual works.

Leading member of the Young British Artists (YBAs); notable for works using preserved animals in formaldehyde (including a shark), spot paintings, spin paintings and medicine cabinets; early career association with collector Charles Saatchi.

The provided review (3/5) examines Hirst's shark-in-formaldehyde work through the lens of science versus art and institutional display. The reviewer criticises perceived conceptual banality and highlights marketing/Charles Saatchi's role. Ethical questions are explicitly set aside by the reviewer. A museum encounter (Natural History Museum whale skeleton) is recommended as an alternative experience.

For:Readers interested in contemporary and conceptual art, museum-goers, art critics

 The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living is a tiger shark, specifically captured and killed (or rather, they were killed: following the decay of the first specimen in 2006, it was necessary to replace it with a second one, so theoretically, the current one is a different work compared to the original) and placed in a formaldehyde-based solution inside a transparent glass and steel tank.

  Discover the review
Loading

Oh no! This artist is not in any charts. Why don't you add them yourself using the button below

Image Id: 81930 Resolution: 261 x 411
Image Id: 53050 Resolution: 126 x 147
You and Damien Hirst
Who knows Damien Hirst?
Loading...