Hirst: reverence, revelation, devotion

Abstract

Hirst takes inspiration from the corporeal practice of the Abstract Expressionists in his latest paintings. Just as Jackson Pollock once said "I am nature," Damien Hirst (born 1965) sets out to "use the nature in me," tapping into both artistic expression and innate wildness. Reverence, Revelation, Devotion is a new large-format hardback publication showcasing the complete works from three new series of paintings: the Reverence Paintings, The Revelations and The Devotions. Hirst worked on several paintings at once, applying layers to the canvases simultaneously. The result is a series of gestural, abstract paintings produced through intuition and impulsiveness. The works in each series are both mechanical and naturalistic, by which Hirst explores the possibility of "a person trying to paint like a machine." Featuring nearly 200 full-color reproductions of the 144 artworks, the book includes an essay by British writer and art critic Jonathan Griffin, in which he compares these series to the work of Agnes Martin, Louise Bourgeois and Robert Ryman.--www.artbook.com.