Physical Impossibility Of Death Essay

Damien Hirst is a 52-year-old British artist who is best known for his conceptual artworks in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Some of Hirst’s best-known artworks are “The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living” (1991), “For the Love of God” (2007), and “A Thousand Years” (1990). Regarding death, Hirst stated, “Every artwork that has ever interested me is about death” (#11). Throughout history, death has been a central theme in art. This is because it is an experience common to all human cultures. Death is a frightening and mysterious event and people often try to use art to express their emotions and come to terms with it. Based on my review of his key artworks and interviews he has given, they reveal Hirst’s profound fear and fascination with death.

“The Physical Impossibility of Death”
The suspended shark in the 213 x 518 x 213 cm tank can be seen at different angles, which can give the viewer a different perspective of this piece of art. What is it like to view this artwork for the first time? When the viewer sees the front of the hideous animal, a familiar bolt of fear runs through him/her when looking at its dark, gaping mouth lined with serrated sharp teeth and a recognizable dorsal fin projecting from it’s back. The puzzled viewers notice the shark isn’t moving, as it remains motionless. A feeling of relief falls over the viewer when he/she realizes that it is dead. As the viewer moves to get a different perspective, they may see the light shining on the shark tank, which filters into the stagnant formaldehyde and creates a greenish-blue oceanic hue. As the viewer looks at the shark in the tank, he/she sees the inscription on a little plaque saying, “The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living” which guides the viewer through the artist’s interpretation of it is and what it