White Cube, Masonīs Yard, LondonIn this mystical, hypnotic show, the artist challenges us to look afresh at the beauty of the universe - through the mind-bending iridescence of butterfly wingsCountless butterfly wings spin around Damien Hirstīs new paintings, in expanding circles of iridescence. These wheels of brightness seem to have a light inside them, a neon heart, but itīs just how the light in the gallery reflects off the wings. Ultramarine blue, fire orange, ebony black - the fabulous paint chest of nature is raided to hypnotic and alluring effect.Is this extravagant use of bits of animals unethical? If so, the Natural History Museum is a far worse sinner, with its millions of animal specimens. Ever since he started making art in the late 1980s, Hirst has claimed the same privilege for art that science has taken for granted since the 17th century - to pin the natural world to a table, to dissect and examine it. Except that his specimens are not explained or analysed. At his most imaginative, as he is in this show, Hirst metamorphoses science into sheer wonder. He wants you to feel the awe-inspiring miracles of life. What if you were in the sea with a shark swimming towards you, mouth open? Or a forest full of multicoloured butterflies? Continue reading...
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