Damien Hirst

Acquired from the artist by the present owner

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate, although the overall tonality of the dark panel is more vibrant and the catalogue illustration fails to fully convey the iridescent quality of the wings. Condition: Please refer to the Contemporary Art Department for a professional condition report.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Perfectly encapsulating Damien Hirst’s iconic aesthetic and philosophical concerns, The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven is a stunning and captivating example of the artist’s celebrated oeuvre. Beautifully capturing the dualistic concept behind the work in its two-part visual presentation, the white and black panels are great examples of the artist’s visually powerful aesthetic, interspersed with bursts of colour.

Bringing together beauty and death as powerful statements on life can be seen as one of the cornerstones of Hirst’s influential practice, and the use of butterflies is without doubt one of his signature ways of exploring this theme. The artist’s first butterfly work dates back to his 1991 exhibition In and Out of Love, in which Hirst placed hundreds of butterflies inside a gallery space and left them there to complete their life cycle from being small, cocooned caterpillars to dying as adult butterflies. As a result, the space became a microcosm for life and death, with both states co-existing in a single space and open for anyone to observe.

In later explorations of this theme, such as the present diptych, the butterflies are used as compositional devices for the artist’s paintings. Presented in mandala-like symmetrical compositions, the individual butterflies become part of a larger whole that produces a fascinating interplay between the impressive composition and the detail and colour of each butterfly. Ultimately, the butterfly paintings create an oxymoronic relationship between beauty, death and immortality. Does one see death as the beauty of horror or the horror of beauty? To this, Hirst responds “I’ve got an obsession with death, but I think it’s like a celebration of life rather than something morbid. You can’t have one without the other.”

The title of the present work, The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven confirms Hirst’s purpose. Extracted from John Milton’s Paradise Lost (1667), it quotes Lucifer as he arrives to Hell from Heaven for the first time, and attempts to adjust. The title suggests the mind and soul is immutable and that even a fall into Hell will not change one’s essence unless one decides to do so. The artist therefore emphasizes a sense of immortality that survives the cycle of life. In its captivating visual presentation, the present work stands as a powerful testament to the artist’s original exploration of some of life’s most essential philosophical concerns.