Foil Block, 2015
Signed Print Edition of 14
H 100cm x W 70cm
I Love You (white, black, fuchsia, cool gold) is a foil black print from Damien Hirst’s 2015 I Love You series. The foil block print shows a single butterfly with its wings open, in the centre of a white heart, against a black backdrop. The central butterfly is coloured with bright fuchsia and gold foil detail.
The central butterfly motif that forms the basis of the I Love You series is a prominent figure that Hirst has used throughout his career. The artist’s interest in butterflies lies in their appearance of life that they retain in death. Tying together themes around morality, life, love, faith and aesthetics, the image of the butterfly is repeated twelve times across the series in varying colour combinations.
Hirst contrasts the almost photographic depiction of the butterfly against solid, block colour to create a print that has an immediate and visceral visual impact. Combining the vernacular of the everyday with artificial colour, Hirst’s work appeals to a broad audience and conveys seemingly universal themes surrounding love. Speaking of his interest in the topic of love, Hirst has explained, “Love is a beautiful thing, and I see it as a small antidote to the horrors of the world.”