To mark the opening of Gagosian's new gallery in Gstaad, Switzerland, Gagosian is pleased to present an exhibition of works by Damien Hirst entitled Myths, Legends and Monsters. Painted over the last fifteen years and never exhibited before, the series of monochromatic oil paintings depicts legendary figures such as Marilyn Monroe, Pablo Escobar, Malcolm X, and Andy Warhol, among others. Blurring the lines of what constitutes an iconic figure, Hirst calls into question modern notions of celebrity and identity.
Myths, Legends and Monsters (2007–) is a series of monochromatic oil paintings that depict legendary artistic, political, and pop-cultural personalities including Jean-Michel Basquiat, David Bowie, Sharon Tate, and Andy Warhol. Reconsidering what makes such figures lastingly iconic, Hirst calls into question contemporary notions of celebrity and identity, influence and notoriety. The series' subjects are all complex individuals—far from being straightforward heroes or villains, they possess aspects of all three elements of the title. "I tried to represent humanity—or, often, a lack of it—in all its facets," Hirst explains.
By rendering the subjects of Myths, Legends and Monsters in black and white, Hirst introduces a powerful aura of nostalgia to the project, a persistent suggestion of fading memories and times past. He also establishes a striking contrast with the intense and varied colour on display in other well-known bodies of his work such as the extensive Spot Paintings series and, more recently, the Veil paintings. 'I felt a need to let the color drain away,' he notes, 'and explore something more binary.' The exhibition's pencil drawings, made after the paintings but of equal significance to the artist, underscore this exclusive focus.
Press release courtesy GAGOSIAN.
Promenade 79
Gstaad, 3780
Switzerland
gagosian.com
+41 33 748 49 80
Mon - Sun, 11am - 1pm; 3pm - 6:30pm