Diamond skull - a frightening work of the artist provocateur D. Hirst

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

At the mention of the scandalous Briton, art objects pop up in memory, causing both horror and delight. Dismembered and alcoholized animals, human skulls, paintings with cemetery motifs attracted public attention in the early 90s of the last century.

The theme of death always runs like a red thread through the work of Damien Hirst. So, a dead shark, drenched in formaldehyde, frightens and repels the viewer, who understands that an inanimate body retains a recognizable appearance. People interpret the object of rejection through the prism of who he once was. Despite the conceptual ideas, all exhibitions of the artist are accompanied by scandals.

Symbol of death

The human skull has always been a symbol of decay and death. Like everything mysterious and frightening, it attracted the attention of creative people andstruck terror into the hearts of the audience. There are many artists, sculptors, and writers who have dedicated their creations to this topic.

Diamond Skull, photo of which causes admiration and fear, is a fascinating work of Damien Hirst. Revealing the idea of the perishability of our life, the author worships death, presents it in various forms and earns good money from it.

The most talked about artist of our time, exciting the world with his masterpieces, as if making a challenge, trying to study the nature of death and demonstrating the victory of life over it.

The most expensive piece of art

The diamond skull, known as "For the Love of God", has become the most expensive work of art by a living author. The master, who encrusted the platinum model with white and pink diamonds in 2007, cost $20 million. As Hirst himself, known for his creative approach to work, stated, his work does not have a clear meaning, and the viewer interprets the meaning in his own way.

However, the provocative master always emphasizes the delicate balance between life and death. The viewer looks at the diamond skull associated with decay and understands that this is the end. But death, which is so beautiful, still inspires him with hope. Gemstones that have a dark side are associated with luxurious living as well as eternity.

How was the diamond skull created?

Damien Hirst took as a basis from the collection of the Kunstkamera the skull of a European who lived inXVIII century, and made a cast of it, in which, using a laser, he made small cells for precious stones. The brilliant provocateur, who claims that the unusual idea came to him under the influence of Aztec art, covered the work with platinum.

Diamonds provided by well-known jewelers who are suppliers to the royal court of England. Faceted diamonds are carefully inserted into the miniature holes and firmly fixed. The most expensive stone (a pink diamond weighing over 52 carats) is located in the forehead of the skull, from which all the teeth were taken out, and platinum teeth were installed instead.

Who are the owners of the precious masterpiece?

It is known that a group of anonymous investors who bought a diamond skull for one hundred million dollars became the buyer of a work of art called by critics a real bad taste. This is a record price for a masterpiece of a contemporary artist. Hirst claims he was paid in cash, so he cannot provide proof of the deal. Later, journalists found out an amazing fact: the author himself and his manager F. Dunphy were among the investors.

And soon there was new information about the owner of the diamond skull. It turned out to be the Ukrainian tycoon V. Pinchuk, who is interested in contemporary art, however, his representatives did not confirm this fact, but did not deny it either.

A chance to meet a frightening creation

Damien Hirst's diamond skull (a photo of an unusual work bypassed all meansmedia) was exhibited in Amsterdam and Florence, and in 2012 was shown in a gallery in London. The author himself admitted that he was happy, because the Tate Modern hall is a wonderful place to get to know a work that evokes a variety of emotions.

The fact is that not a single museum in the world could afford to exhibit an expensive exhibit, since government agencies cannot afford to cover the cost of insurance, which is kept secret. The work could also appear in the Hermitage, but due to a financial issue, the tour fell through.

A new masterpiece looking for its owner

It is curious that Hirst, who makes a career on the subject of death, did not rest on his laurels and presented a new shocking work called "For God's sake". At the end of 2010, the master of provocation cast another diamond skull of a newborn baby, which he took from the collection of pathologies of the human body.

The cost of the work, encrusted with white and pink diamonds, is not called, but art historians estimate it at 200 million pounds. If someone wishes to purchase this sculpture, then it will become the most expensive item in the world of contemporary art.