Damien
Hirst's Kaleidescope paintings are an embrace of the commodification
of art and use of cultural capitol. They also a critique of
conteporary beliefs regarding science and religion through the
appropriation of medieval stainglass and victorian lepidopterology.
This essay will focus on the Kaleidescope painting
South
Rose Window, Lincoln Cathedral
(figure 1),
in regards formal, thematic and stylistic characteristicse .
The
Kaleidesope paintings are a series of works that are produced by
arranging thousands of butterfly wings of vaious species in geometric
patterns into houseold paint on canvas. The canvas of South
Rose Window, Lincoln Cathedral is
circular, reaching 248cm in diameter, surrounded by a gold frame.
At a distance the
arrangement of wings are reminisant of gothic stained-glass panels,
dominated by the intense chromatic colors of amber, azurite and
turquoise and geometric paternation.
Individual
specimines become recognisable when the painting is viewed at an
intimate distance (figure 2), as opposed to the lives of the saints.
Varying in size from large to small and varying from bright to muted
colors a plethora of butterfly species have been used, all are
divorced of their bodies (Burn
2008). Compositionally
the South
Rose Window, Lincoln Cathedral has
been copied directly by Hirst from the Bishops
Eye (figure
3) which is the south rose window of the Lincoln Cathedral. The
Bishops
Eye
does not have the typical revolving structure of other gothic rose
windows but instead presents a balanced veritcally symmetrical
composition. A network of predominately irregular quatrefoul shapped
tracery covers the canvas. The South
Rose Window, Lincoln Cathedral circular
form is interceted by two arcs of the same diameter. At opposite
sides of the composition lie the center of the arcs. These arcs
touching in the center of the canvas. The arcs create vertical
amygdaliform forms with a line bisecting each of them
(Hendrix 2011). Hirst
has futher created metasymmetries as the butterflies themselves are
epitomes of symmetry. Historically the compositional ease of symmetry
has been disparaged by painters and considered to diminish their
skilled status. Symmetry tho, particularly for early christian
religious paintings, was considered to aid in divine contemplation
(Brown 2012).
Growing
up in Leeds Damien Hirst was raised a christian in the catholic
tradition. His early religious education has greatly influenced his
artwork (Bracewell 2012) For Hirst this connection to christianity is
integral to his conceptual explorations within South
Rose Window, Lincoln Cathedral and
he acknolwedges that christian motifs within a secularised society
have little impact. It is this emptiness of the motifs that Hirst is
exploring. Religion, art and science are reflected by the
juxtaposion of materials, cliched symbols and metaphors with in the
work.
“I’m more interested in religion filling a hole for people. That’s how I look at it now. There’s a hole there in people. In everybody. In me. A hole that needs filling, and religion fills it for some people. And art for others. I don’t think religion is the answer, but it helps. I use art in a similar way to fill that hole. It’s just ways of looking at the world optimistically rather than just as a brutal swamp. Which it is. But, in order to live you have to make more out of it than that. Religion helps, but it’s failed really.” Damien Hirst (Hagan 2006, 12).
“I suppose I want people to think, mainly. In this instance, I wanted people to think about the combination of science and religion, basically. People tend to think of them as two very separate things, one cold and clinical, the other emotional and loving and warm. I wanted to leap over those boundaries and give you something that looks clinical and cold but has all the religious, metaphysical connotations too. It’s the perfect time now because the church is messing up so badly” Damnien Hirst (Hagan 2006).
For Hirst this
discussion is pertinent in the post-Christian world where no attempt
is made to refine throughts about what is good and evil, right or
wrong, true of false. The belief is that there are no absolute truths
and no one has the authority to define nor impose morals or
truths.(Singh 2011)
In the Kaleidoscope
series Hirst has connected religion and science by using medieval
stained glass compositional aesthetic, the symbolic imagery of the
butterfly and the indexing techniques of Lepidopterology.
Throught
the direct copying of composition and titling of the painting Hirst
is drawing attention to the european medieval period from the 10th
to 16th
century. During that period stained glass windows were considered a
predominant pictorial art form. Stained glass could be found in
wealthy and public buildings and churches. With in the church the
intention was to create a sense of awe, and through the narrative and
symbolism was to educate and inspire the masses. It was light
transformed by the word of god (Hartshorne 2011).
In
South
Rose Window, Lincoln cathedral Hirst
connection to religion is towards the christian faith. Christianity,
particularly the catholic religion, is recognised as the primary
european belief in Medieval times. Lives in Middle ages were
dominated by the church and religion and regardless of social status,
from birth to death (Watkins 2004, 139).
The
South
Rose Window, Lincoln cathedral in
the context of the Lincoln cathedral's Bishop's
Eye represents
the Holy Spirit where as the north represents the devil. In order to
invite and watch for the candelabra of heaven the bishop faces south
(Hartshorne 2011).
To futher enhance
the connection to christianity Hirst has employed the symbolism of
the butterfly within the work. The butterfly is considered by
christians a symbol for the resurrection of Christ and of believers.
With its fragile existance and brief lifespan the caterpillar
vanishes within the chrysalis apprearing dead, symbolic of the
entombing of christ. Then to emerge beautiful, powerful and
transformed, from "death" (Reimer 2000). The bodiless
butterflies are a reoccuring motif for Hirst and for him they possess
idealised beauty and are representative of spirituality and
transcendency (Burn 2008).
This
connection to christianity is important as it recognises that for
the medieval person, all knowlege was merged through theology and
interpreted through god; god was all pervasive. As opposed to the
contemporary beliefs and methods of processing information.
Hirst
makes a connection to scientific and rational beliefs as opposed to
faith also through the use of the butterflies. Lepidopterology
or butterfly
collecting was a popular past time during the Victoran Era.
Collecting enthusiasts would rent the homes of locals of hotspots
during the butterfly flight periods. Collectors would pay ludicrous
sums for rare species that were gathered by children. For many that
abhorred the cruelty of traditional fox hunting, such as the clergy,
butterfly collecting provided a suitable hobby. Rows of redwood
drawers would be filled with pinned butterflies within Victorian
drawing rooms (Bely 2012). It is this scientific indexical nature of
the Victorian collectors that Hirst is interested in.
Within the British
terrestrial insect and invertebrate groups, butterflies act as
indicators of the state of the enviroment. In the present day almost
two thirds of British butterflies are in decline. It is prohibited to
catch some species of butterfly now and the persuit of collecting is
underappreciated but signficant finds are made by collectors and
thier supplies nourish science (Brereton 2004). So one must consider
Hirsts Kaleidoscope works in this vane. To create a work of art and a
beautiful object, this delicate creature dies (Burn 2008).
Damien
Hirst is not only a creative visionary, drawing on history to enrich
his conceptual exploration. Hirst has embrace
of the commodification of art by bridging
the gap between artist and businessman. Building his celebrity
branded status within the art world, Hirst is one of the wealthiest
living artist and in 2010 was reported as being the United Kingdoms
weathiest artist by the Sunday Times Rich List (Brooks 2010). His
ability to command exorbitant prices for his works has been compared
to Jasper Johns and Jeff Koons (Bracewell 2012).
In
an unusual move in 2008 by Hirst, he auctioned his work directly to
the public, bypassing his usual galleries.The notorious auction was
held at Sotheby's in London and was called “Beautiful Inside My
Head Forever”. Critics were convinced that the market could not
absorb the 223 artworks on sale, but 97% of the works sold for
approxumately $225 Million AUD. The auction was also memorable as it
took place on the eve of the financial market plunge. The
South Rose Window, Lincoln Cathedral was
sold as a part of “Beautiful Inside My Head Forever” for 1.6
million AUD. The Kaleidoscope series in itself is a celebration of
consumer culture, They were mass produced in Hirsts studios in
Peckham and Lambeth, London, by workers reaching over 55 Kaleidoscope
(Henry 2008). This production continued as even after the financial
collapse the Kaleidoscope series has has appeared in nine of the top
ten sales since the “Beautiful Inside My Head Forever” sale.
(The Economist 2010, 100)
Hirst
aided the success of the sale of The
South Rose Window, Lincoln Cathedral, which
had not previously been exhibited, having no prestige, through the
use of cultural capitol.
For Pierre Bourdieu
the ability to understand and use educated language and to have a
familiarity with the dominant culture are the key elements of
cultural capital. In short the assumption is made by the education
system that cultural capitol is possesed, but this possession varies
dependant on social class (Sulivan 2002, 110).
For Hirst he has
made the assumption that his viewers are educated in regards to
medieval history, British butterfly collecting traditions and the
value of stain glass windows. He is also drawing on the historical
significance and presteige associated with the Lincoln cathedral.
Located
in Lincoln, England, Lincoln Cathedral was built during several
phases of the medieval period. Between 1311 and 1549 it was reputed
as the tallest building in the world. Architectural scholars still
revere the structure. Victorian writer John Ruskin wrote: "I
have always held... that the cathedral of Lincoln is out and out the
most precious piece of architecture in the British Isles and roughly
speaking worth any two other cathedrals we have" (Hartshorne
2011). The Lincoln cathedral is in the top visited tourist attactions
list of the east midlands with over 200 000 people visiting annually.
Historically Lincoln
cathedral has two key rememberences. For hundreds of years the
cathedral held one of the four remaining copies of the original Magna
Carta, whom Hugh of Wells, the bishop of Lincoln was signatory. The
copy is currently on display at the Lincoln Castle. Secondly the
cathedral is know for the boy marty, Little Saint Hugh, who died in
1255 (Bennett 2005, 263).
An
unusual feature for medieval architecture in England of the Lincoln
Cathedral is its two large rose windows .The Bishop's
Eye
built c1325-1350 to the south and the Dean's Eye to the north side
of the cathedral. The curvilinear tracery and continuous curves of
the Bishop's
Eye are
the largest example of medieval architecture in england.
Damien
Hirst used the medieval historical significance of the Lincoln
cathedral as cultural capitol as defined by Pierre Bourdieu to
increase the sale value of South
Rose Window, Lincoln Cathedral. And
has celebrated celebrity culture with the mass production of the
Kaleidoscope series and direct sale to the public via aution houses.
Conceptully his exploration regarding science and religion has looked
to the Medieval and Victorian period. Using the medieval religious
beliefs and stained glass compositional apporpriation of the Bishops
eye
and Victorian lepidopterology.
Figure
1. Damien Hirst South
Rose Window, Lincoln Cathedral 2007,
butterflies and paint on canvas, diameter: 2438 mm .
Source:http://www.damienhirst.com/south-rose-window-lincoln-cat
Figure
,. Damien Hirst Detail
of South Rose Window,
Lincoln Cathedral 2007,
butterflies and paint on canvas .
Source:http://www.damienhirst.com/images/hirstimage/DHS6686_c_771_0.jpg
Figure
3. Bishop's Eye c1325-1350,
stained-glass, diameter: 24 feet .
Source:http://www.paradoxplace.com/Photo%20Pages/UK/Britain_Centre/Lincoln_Cathedral/Lincoln_Images/Aug%202007/800/Bishops-Eye-Aug07-D7488sAR800.jpg
List
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Bely,
Lev. 2012. “Damien Hirst's great and terrible butterflies.“ Last
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Bennett,
Gillian. 2005. Bodies: Sex, Violence, Disease, and Death in
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Brereton,Tom.
2004. Butterfly Conservation Report to the Forestry Commission
Report
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URL:http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/BC-ButterfliesForestBioIndicatorsRep.pdf/$FILE/BC-ButterfliesForestBioIndicatorsRep.pdf
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Margaret. 2000. “Symbols of resurrection“ Canadian Mennonite,
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Neal. “Damnien Hirst.“ Art and Christianity 70:6. Accessed 16
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Julie. 2008. “Damien Hirst lays off workers.“ Telegraph, 22
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