• Psalm 118: Confitemini Domino., 2008, by Damien Hirst

  • Psalm 115: Non Nobis, Domine., 2008, by Damien Hirst

  • Psalm 14: Dixit Insipiens., 2008, by Damien Hirst

  • Psalm 38: Domine, Ne In Furore., 2008, by Damien Hirst

  • Psalm 54: Dixit Insipiens., 2008, by Damien Hirst

  • Psalm 118: Confitemini Domino., 2008, by Damien Hirst

  • Psalm 86: Inclina, Domine., 2008, by Damien Hirst

  • The cover of Damien Hirst — The Complete Psalm Paintings
Sharks. Medicine cabinets. Diamonds. Formaldehyde. And pharmaceutical packaging. Artist Damien Hirst uses — shall we say — decidedly unconventional materials in his work. Another case in point: his Psalm paintings from 2008, the subject of a new book by Other Criteria, are crafted from just two things: ordinary household paint and… butterfly wings. The result is a series of 150 works — all marvelous and wholly hypnotic — that follow a kaleidoscopic geometry. Or perhaps they take after Gothic stained glass windows? After all, Hirst named them after psalms from the Old Testament, which Damien Hirst — The Complete Psalm Paintings deftly showcases by juxtaposing each work opposite the complete psalm it’s named after. The mind wanders in multilayered musings on art, nature, science, religion, life, death… just as the eyes does over each and every vibrant and colorful canvas.

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