Week 4- Damien Hirst and the diamond skull.

Week 4- Damien Hirst and the diamond skull.

Discuss how Hirst's persona and work relate to the Renaissance concepts of Mercantillism and the (increased) status of the artist.

Damian HIrst is a famous english artist who is reputed to be the richest living artist to date, with a net worth of 235 million pounds (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damien_Hirst). His work explores the themes of death, in which his most current work is that of a diamond-incrusted skull named ‘For the Love of God’. This interesting piece of artwork is comprised of a real man skull who lived around 1720-1810 in Europe. The skull is completely covered with 8,601 diamonds with only his teeth showing costing a whopping 15,000,000 pounds (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damien_Hirst).

Mercantilism in the renaissance times was essentially an economic theory, based on exporting more than a country imports, thus causing the countries reserve and wealth to rise. Possessions of gold, silver and diamonds are examples of materials used by countries to export and gain wealth. Hirst has used his social status as a famous artist and extreme wealth all in order to put together the skull.It was said that if anyone else had made this diamond covered skull worth millions it would be viewed as some what vulgar to the audience in that someone with unlimited amounts of money has just wasted these diamonds worth millions on something that looks like no art and has no taste (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_the_Love_of_God_(artwork)). Knowing that not just anyone did this and that it was done by Hirst an artist of such high stature it changes the way we view the the object in the most direct and brutal way possible as the title For the love of God questions the morality of such an object can be made with reference to also the morality of how art is made. It makes the audience aware of how we as a society are only directly concerned with what is put in front of us and are unaware of the processes in which things are made. The use of diamonds represents the blood spilt in africa in order to gain wealth. This also relates back to the renascence concepts of mercantilism through the blood diamonds used to gain wealth. The title For the Love of God can now be seen as a bold statement to the lives lost over the diamonds in Africa.

Without Hirst status of a famous artist, the artwork would not have been seen the same way and would merely been looked upon as something that a famous rapper wanted as bling bling.

persona and work relate to the Renaissance concepts of Mercantillism and the (increased) status of the artist.