Damien Hirst Studio Half Skull, Face on, 2009 takes a casual but interesting look at death and the perceptions we may have as consumers. Hirst is no stranger to death, bones, and corpses as he’s lined his oeuvre with shock and controversy. From filling tanks of dead animals in formaldehyde to canvases with spots, Hirst has made a name for himself during a period of ultra-commodification in art.

Either smeared across the skulls or blotted on, the blue paint that this work is enmeshed with captivates and draws the eye. Unusually, the blue paired with the off-white color of the skull, works to mimic bruised, battered, and decomposing skin which paints a realistically nuanced interpretation of what skin might look like on the bone. Dark, vacuous eyeholes sit just at the horizon line, allowing the predominately eerie symbology to overlap with the diamond dust Hirst has plastered the page with. Shadows from the studio light cast down onto the skull and onto the space beneath it, creating a sense of depth and allowing a haunting atmosphere that is juxtaposed by the scintillating diamonds as they glitter and shine brightly around it, acting as a breath of levity through emotional visuals.

Created in 2009, this Silkscreen on 410gsm Somerset tub-sized with diamond dust is hand signed by Damien Hirst (Bristol, 1965-) in pencil in the lower right margin and is from the numbered edition of 75 in pencil in the lower left margin.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
Damien Hirst Studio Half Skull, Face on, 2009 is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the sale of the work).

1. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this artwork.

About the Framing:
Framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, Damien Hirst Studio Half Skull, Face on, 2009 presented in a complementary moulding and optical grade Plexiglas.