Research the art work of Damien Hirst, in particular his work 'For the love of God'(2008), a diamond encrusted skull.
Discuss how Hirst's persona and work relate to the Renaissance concepts of Mercantillism and the (increased) status of the artist.
Damien Steven Hirst, is an artist from a group known as “Young British Artist” (YBAs), he then dominated the art society in Britain in the early 1990’s. His work started to blossom and develop during 1987-1997 in the contemporary art. According to the Artchieve (n.d), from http://www.artchive.com/artchive/H/hirst.html
"Hirst' work is an examination of the processes of life and death: the ironies, falsehoods and desires that we mobilize to negotiate our own alienation and mortality. His production can be roughly grouped into three areas: paintings, cabinet sculptures and the glass tank pieces.”
Hirst’ work can relate to the early renaissance of mercantilism by one of his most recent works titled “For the Love of God” featured in Beyond Belief, an exhibition opened in London at the White Cube gallery. This art piece was a platinum human skull filled with 8,601 diamonds, and was priced for $100 million or 75 euro’s and “weighing a total of 1,106.18 carats. Approximately £15,000,000 worth of diamonds was used” (Damien Hirst: Wikipedia.org (n.d) from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damien_Hirst#cite_note-37)
His work “For the Love of God” clearly has a concept of mercantilism because of all the money that was involved and the money that Hirst receives from the people interested in his work. The diamonds that Hirst’ uses in his work, doesn’t earn him points as being the wealthiest man in the contemporary art in our modern world today and by how much he can afford into his artwork, although I believe that being wealthy in our society today is calculated by how much money a person has in their bank account, therefore we can see the renaissance concepts of mercantilism being reflected through Damien Hirst’ work. In my opinion, Hirst’ persona, work and status for an artist is very wild and liberated, allowing him to make and do whatever he pleases, but still earn credit as one of the leading artists in contemporary art.
Hey Charize, just here to add more info!
ReplyDeleteHirst's most recent work is a diamond-incrusted skull entitled ‘For the love of God’, which was inspired by this mother. The skull is of an actual man that lived around 1720 -1810 from Europe. His teeth are still showing, but the rest of him is covered with 8,601 diamonds.
(http://www.artnewsblog.com/2007/06/diamond-skull-by-damien-hirst.htm)
Mercantilism in the Renaissance era was wealth measured by the possession of precious metal e.g. gold and silver. Hirst’s latest work is the most expensive piece of contemporary art to date selling for around 100 million dollars, which in return has elevated Hirst’s status along with his diamond-incrusted skull and it also shows the connection between him and mercantilism.
Have a read at this quote:
“Work of art? He is not an artist. It's all commercial value to him. Is this just another way for rich people to deal with their time and excess of money. If Paris Hilton or Ali G say they did it, instead of Hirst, would you call that art? or just another publicity stunt?”
Interesting don't you think?
(http://www.artnewsblog.com/2007/06/diamond-skull-by-damien-hirst.htm 13 comment.)
Gracia Galias
Charize!
ReplyDeleteI find Hirst's works quite intriguing. With the preservation of death comes the ideas of maintaining life. Hirst allows us to question the ideas of human worth and what is important. By the harvesting of priceless rocks many people are forced into slavery and many die. These specific diamonds are called Blood Diamonds or Conflict diamonds. They are 'illegally traded to fund conflict in war-torn areas, particularly in central and western Africa.' (http://www.diamondfacts.org/conflict/index.html) And in making 'For the Love of God', it was verified that the diamonds that he used in the sculpture were in fact not Conflict Diamonds. In doing so, he has shed light upon an issue not frequently discussed.
:)
thought I'd botz it too! Comment later though, just read this blog entry, must say it's quite amazing! Inspired me to do a lot more on mine. Yours is a lot more in depth and I fully love your definitions and explanations of the relationships between mercantilism and renaissance art to Hirst, his work & his persona. x
ReplyDeleteGood Blog! i liked how you added Hirst's themes in his contemporary work,
ReplyDelete"Hirst' work is an examination of the processes of life and death: the ironies, falsehoods and desires that we mobilize to negotiate our own alienation and mortality. His production can be roughly grouped into three areas: paintings, cabinet sculptures and the glass tank pieces.”
Also i just read Gracia's comment and thought i would append my own opinion,
“Work of art? He is not an artist. It's all commercial value to him. Is this just another way for rich people to deal with their time and excess of money. If Paris Hilton or Ali G say they did it, instead of Hirst, would you call that art? or just another publicity stunt?”
To some extent I actually do agree with this comment. With work such as "for the love of God" in a way i feel he has merely glamorized death in what is arguably a very disrespectful manner. Although the diamonds had generated a great value for the skull, so to some it may also be seen differently. I have found that this particular sculpture was inspired by his mother when she had said "for the love of god, what are you going to do next?", even after researching such i find it hard to find a connection between a diamond encrusted skull to how it had been inspired. If anyone can elaborate for me please do!
Charize you asked if i felt if there was a deeper meaning to the sculpture before hand, and at first i felt it was just a thought or idea that he had produced. Although i could be wrong as the artist did focus on the processes of death, and i suppose a dead man's skull does have relevance. The diamonds can also be seen as a symbol of how precious human life is, and the worth of a human skull.
(thanks for the comment on mine btw) :D
For my opinion,I agree about your point of view that the work "for the love of god" is able to related to Mercantillism is because of its value. mercantilism is the begining of people who has abandoned the old Europe social scholastic philosophy doctrine and ethics standard, startsed to judge the society with the capitalist's standars and experience.After that,diamond and noble metal become the symbol of wealth and social status.
ReplyDeletehowever,this work can remind me about the relationship between wealth and death.money can not go with us,can not help us when we are being pushed to face death.
good posting!!!! i really like your point of view. I read that his teeth are still showing, but the rest of his work is covered with 8601 diamonds.Since the Renaissance mercantilism has developed. Wealth's symbol changed that how much money who has from object such as gold. I think that it is how these works related to merchantilism.
ReplyDeleteI believe Hirst's name and history has nothing to do with the popularity of the work. It was instead his wealth... it just so happens that Damien Hirst is probably the only living artist able to commission a piece of work like this. The diamonds are the attention grabber, then the skull, then the name "Hirst". If anything, his name probably detracts from the work's credibility due to his history. If some bum off Queen St stumbled across the skull and some diamonds and created this piece of work and backed it up with Hirst's concept, he wouldn't be a bum for much longer. He'd be considered an artist.
ReplyDelete