For the Love of God

Inscriptions

Signed, in white crayon, lower right: Damien Hirst; numbered, lower left, in white crayon: 1265/1700

Label

Extravagance dominates this print. In the original sculpture, the artist affixed 8,601 diamonds and original human teeth onto a platinum replica of an 18th-century human skull. This juxtaposition of human remains with excessive luxury critiques the disturbing realities of contemporary life. This work invites contemplation of what endures in the face of mortality.

The artist also challenges the skull’s traditionally somber presentation as a memento mori, an object that alludes to the inevitability of death. He defies convention through his use of precious materials and the compositional centrality of the skull itself, exposing death rather than hiding it away.

From the 2024 exhibition, A Space for Dialogue 116, Apocalypse When: reflections on our collective psyche, Molly Rouzie '24, Homma Family Intern

Exhibition History

A Space for Dialogue 116, Apocalypse When: reflections on our collective psyche, Molly Rouzie '24, Homma Family Intern, Alvin P. Gutman Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, January 6 - March 2, 2024

Provenance

Linda Waterhouse, Hanover, New Hampshire; given to present collection, 2023.

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