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The Physical Impossibility Of Death In The Mind Of Someone Living

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The most widely renowned symbolic meanings for skulls are death and mortality. Skulls have appeared for thousands of years throughout history whether be it on gravestones in early New England or displayed in Middle Eastern homes as far back as 7200 B.C. Their earliest appearance in art history was the adornment of human and animal skulls with gems. The popularity of skull art has increased greatly over the past decade; they can be seen embellished on almost any item from fashion to furniture and tattoos.
Damien Hirst is an English artist, he is said to be the most renowned member of the Young British Artists group and is Brittan’s richest living artist with a net worth of approx. $300 million dollars. The majority of Hirt’s works are paintings, conceptual art and installation art centralizing around the themes of faith, religion, wealth, aesthetics and most importantly mortality. His two most notable artworks are his 1991 conceptual piece ’The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living ‘and his 2007 sculpture ‘For the love of god’.
‘The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living’ is a piece created in 1991 using a 4 metre tiger shark, glass, painted steel, silicone, monofilament and formaldehyde solution. This work attempts to …show more content…
This artwork draws inspiration from the Latin phrase ‘Memento Mori’ as well as Aztec and Mexican cultures, their approach to mortality and manner in which they celebrate and adorn both death and skulls. The Latin phrase ‘Memento Mori’ or ‘remember that you will die’ is name for the concept of reflecting on mortality particularly in terms of the vanity and ephemeral nature of life. Influences for this work include an Aztec turquoise skull and fellow artist John Lekay’s 1993 crystal skull artwork; ‘Spiritus

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