Exhibition review: Damien Hirst, Tate Modern, London

 

On the 13^th June I went to the Damien Hirst exhibition at the Tate Modern. Going, I was full of apprehension. Why? Well, I’ve never been a fan of Hirst’s work, claiming that it was “meaningless”, “not art” and “anything a three-year-old could do”. However, having seen his work,  and with the help of a tour iPhone with information (I know, how modern!), I was able to understand his work and appreciate it. This exhibition has definitely changed the way I see and understand his work.

The way in which Ann Gallagher curated the exhibition I found pleasing. Most of the rooms were just simple white walls, which meant that the viewer’s attention was brought to focus on the conceptual artwork.

Viewing Hirst’s artwork was definitely what one could call an interesting experience. Many of his works I didn't really like, for example the ready-made form of the Medicine Cabinets. Alone, I didn’t find these pieces of ‘art’ fascinating. However, with the information I was given about the meanings behind them this did change the way I viewed them some-what. The Medicine Cabinets included a series of cabinets with objects such as pills and various medicines displayed. When explaining his work Hirst stated that people are more “confident  about  medicine, but not about art”, and how people dismiss various works because they, perhaps, are not deemed as ‘art’. This is a valid point.

As I learned, basically pretty much all of Hirst’s works are jibes to the whole notion of ‘what is art?’ – is something art because someone high up in the art world says it? Because it took a lot of skill to create it? Or because it’s socially accepted?

Art ultimately should evoke something to the viewer, a certain emotion and it should make them think. One of the pieces I felt emotionally connected to was the In and Out of Love series. One of the rooms was a maintained environment so that butterflies could inhabit it, allowing them to fly around freely. This was my favourite room. The way in which the room was full of the creatures gliding along was beautiful. I even had one of the butterflies attach themselves onto my back for a few minutes! Hirst has attached the pupae of the butterflies onto white canvases around the room and when the butterflies fly out of them, the fluid would run down the canvas. This formed the ‘art’. That notion I’m not too keen on. But I found it fascinating seeing the butterflies fly around. Therefore, does Hirst succeed in creating ‘art’? As mentioned before, this particular room caused me to feel certain emotions and to see the true beauty in everything.

 

Damien Hirst, In and Out of Love, 1991 (White Paintings and Live Butterflies)

I was fascinated when seeing his Natural History series which included such pieces as the classic shark in a tank, aka The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living. I personally don't think it's 'art', but it sure is interesting to see. The fact that this particular piece has caused a lot of commotion in the art world was one of the reasons I had to see it. There were also two lambs in two separate tanks. They looked so peaceful, and almost happy. It was kinda creepy.

 

Damien Hirst, The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, Tiger shark, glass, steel, in formaldehyde solution, 1991

One other piece that I wanted to see - and did see - was For the Love of God. The cast skull which is covered in over 8,500 diamonds could be viewed in this tiny room-like-box. It was pitch black, with just the skull in a pedestal with the light shinning down on it. Very atmospheric. The fact that it was the only thing in this room, and that all the focus was on the skull was very awe-inspiring. But at the same time creepy when you saw the human teeth - eek!

 

Damien Hirst with For the Love of God, platinum, diamond, human teeth, 2007

Overall I was pleasantly surprised with the Damien Hirst exhibition at the Tate Modern. The way in which the objects were displayed added to the whole viewing experience. The only problem with the exhibition is that if you didn't purchase the iPhone information pack you wouldn't really get further knowledge of the pieces, as information was limited around the gallery rooms.

If you're in London between reading this post and 9th September 2012 go!! (9th of September is pretty soon) It's a must. Even if you're not a fan of Hirst it's worth seeing. You never know, like me you may be almost converted to being a fan... Has Hirst changed the way we question art?