Damien Hirst and Butterfly paintings

Damien Hirst is one of the most popular British artists if not the most popular. His art work brings out as much criticism as it brings support. Even though Hirst works with a wide range of media such as installations, sculpture, painting and drawing, he is most famous for animals preserved in formaldehyde and his butterfly paintings. Whitecube.com states that “Hire explores the uncertainty at the core of human experience; love, life, death, loyalty and betrayal through unexpected and unconventional media.” The use of unconventional media such as animals preserved in formaldehyde is the source of most of his criticism. However questions have also risen about the originality and the authenticity of his art work. A great number of people have accused Hirst of copying and or being influenced by their work but he has not acknowledged their influence or the contribution. In this month (September of 2008) Hirst sold almost all of his art work through an action house in London. He stated that selling art through an action house is a “more diplomatic” way of selling art.


In the auction held this month, two of his butterfly paintings were sold to charities. Of all of his artwork I have seen, his butterfly collection has been the one to divert my attention to it. His butterfly paintings are made up of actual butterflies dispensed in paint. Looking at each of these paintings from a distance makes them seem like stain glass windows. The butterfly wings are arranged in some sort of circular pattern with a light color in the middle, then a layer of dark color around it which is usually then followed by another lighter pattern around it. This pattern makes it seem like there is light coming from the center that is being dispensed throughout the painting. Also the light pattern around the dark pattern emphasizes the circular pattern of the painting. Also from a distance each of the wings being a different color than the ones next to it seems as if they are small piece of glass. This is because of the bright color of each of the wings. Overall, the pattern and the arrangement of the painting make it look more like a stain glass window than anything else. This is also one of the softer works of Damien Hirst compared to other formaldehyde animals.