Damien Hirst: Form and Formaldehyde
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Damien Hirst is a well-known English artist, art collector, and curator whose works are often conceptual in nature. He set out to explore a wide variety of themes, most notably death, a prominent topic in many of his most publicized pieces. His most famous series of works is, in fact, shrouded in controversy to this day. It involves the preservation of dead animals, such as a shark, a sheep, and a cow, in formaldehyde, a substance that halts decay and inhibits microbial growth, thus stabilizing organic tissues and making long-term preservation possible.
One of these works, “The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living,” features a large tiger shark immersed in formaldehyde and placed in a clear display case.
This piece has been both praised and criticized by the public, with some considering it an innovative statement, and others looking down on it as a mere attempt to cash in on shock value.
This was the piece that truly contributed to Hirst’s fame in the public eye, even outside art circles. The shark artwork sparked a lot of debate and even caused fervent detractors to launch their own statements and exhibitions against Hirst’s piece. In…
