

Refine and complete artistic work.Īnchor Standard #10. Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.Īnchor Standard #3. Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.Īnchor Standard #2.
#KALEIDOSCOPE PAINTING HOW TO#
Students learn about color bias, tints, shades, and intensity of color as well as how to create rhythm, variety, and movement with dot size, placement, and color.

Hirst explains, “art’s about life and it can’t really be about anything else … there isn’t anything else.This lesson teaches students to create radial symmetry and is a great introduction to color mixing. Since the late 1980’s, Hirst has used various artistic practices, from installation to sculpture, painting and drawing to explore the relationship between art, life and death. The artist explains, “I love butterflies because when they are dead they look alive.” For Hirst, butterflies embody the fragility of life and the use of the insect is a means for him to address questions of mortality. Hirst’s love for butterflies lies, in part, from the way they retain an iridescent beauty, even in death, as evidenced by the magnificent and beautiful paintings Hirst makes out of dead butterflies.
#KALEIDOSCOPE PAINTING SERIES#
As an artist, Hirst is fascinated with contemporary belief systems such as religion, love and medicine and often uses his art to explore them and dissect the tensions at the heart of human existence.Īnother important theme for Hirst which the artist explores through the Kaleidoscope series is life and death. The spiritual heritage attached to the butterfly, along with the spectacular patterns Hirst created which resonate strongly with a variety of religions means that the Kaleidoscope series is a way for Hirst to address the theme of religion in his artworks.

Many of the works in the Kaleidoscope series were given names by Hirst which directly reference Christian iconography, and a collection of the paintings produced in 2008 were all named after psalms from the Old Testament.
#KALEIDOSCOPE PAINTING WINDOWS#
As well as resonating with Buddhist mandalas, the patterns are also reminiscent of the stained-glass windows found in Gothic churches. Butterflies were used by the Greeks to depict the Psyche and the soul, and are often found in Christian imagery to signify the resurrection. The Kaleidoscope works are imbued with spiritual symbolism. Later, in 2007, Hirst presented a large collection of the paintings in a solo show, Superstition, at the Gagosian Gallery in London, as well as in Beverly Hills. Works from the Kaleidoscope series were first exhibited at the White Cube, London, in 2003 as part of the Romance in the Age of Uncertainty exhibition. The spectacular diamond shaped canvas resonates with other works in the series, such as Sceptic (2006) and Faithless (2006), which similarly use a diamond shape as the base for the geometric butterfly patterns. The first painting produced by Hirst that belongs to the Kaleidoscope series was It’s a Wonderful World, made in 2001. Each design, however, is different and involves a unique arrangement of butterflies, bringing a sense of excitement and dynamism to the series. Throughout the series, Hirst uses bold and vibrant colours which resonate with the designs of Buddhist mandalas. The resulting works are spectacular and seize the viewer’s attention, demanding them to inspect the patterns to appreciate the hundreds of different little butterflies that are part of the composition. Hirst ingeniously makes the pieces by placing thousands of different coloured butterfly wings in geometric patterns into household paint. The series is made up of a wide variety of impressive paintings and prints, all of which depict mesmerising patterns of concentric circles made up of hundreds of butterflies. Painted on wrapped canvas, this square acrylic painting adds a focal point to any wall in your home by showcasing neutral hues of blue, red, ivory and black. This canvas painting, with its kaleidoscope of color and shapes does exactly that. Hirst’s ambitious Kaleidoscope project began in 2001, and has birthed many kaleidoscopic, intricate works made from thousands of butterfly wings. Abstract art relies heavily on shapes, colors, and forms to achieve its effect.
