25 March - 15 July, 2018
Damien Hirst
'COLOUR SPACE PAINTINGS & SCULPTURE'
The Exhibition
Colour Space was a landmark exhibition at Houghton featuring current works by artist Damien Hirst, one of the most remarkable artists of his generation.
The ornate interiors of the State Rooms were transformed by Hirst's new Colour Space paintings, which took the place of Walpole and Cholmondeley family portraits. A selection of the artist's best-known sculptures from the last 15 years was also positioned around the park and grounds - as well as in the house. The sculptures included seven pieces installed in the park. They included the celebrated Virgin Mother (2005–2006), which was shown in the courtyard of the Royal Academy in 2006, and Charity (2002–2003), which was installed on Hoxton Square in 2003 and outside the Royal West of England Academy of Art in Bristol in 2011.
About the Artist
Damien Hirst, a controversial figure in recent art history, rose to fame in the 1990s. With support from Charles Saatchi, an advertising tycoon, Hirst gained rapid recognition for his unconventional artworks, including a shark suspended in formaldehyde titled "The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living," which both fascinated and repulsed audiences in 1991.
In 1995, the same year he won the Turner Prize, Hirst's installation featuring rotting animal carcasses was banned in New York due to concerns about public health. Often compared to Sid Vicious from the Sex Pistols, Hirst embodies the commercialization and celebrity culture that originated with Andy Warhol.
Acknowledgements
The exhibition was curated by Mario Codognato. Dorotheum served as the lead sponsor of the exhibition. Despite its traditional heritage, the auction house has consistently showcased innovative contemporary works and previews, including those of Damien Hirst, for the past thirty years. Mulberry provided additional support as a sponsoring partner.
"We are delighted to have this opportunity to show Damien Hirst’s new paintings in the State Rooms at Houghton, together with some of his best-known sculptures in the grounds. It is perhaps the first time that Hirst has shown a significant body of work in a formal country house setting. William Kent’s gilded interiors will be transformed for the duration of the show.”
Lord Cholmondeley
