Name: The Dead (turquoise, panama copper)
Brand: Damien Hirst
Rating: 4.9 (183 reviews)

Meaning & Analysis

The Dead (turquoise, panama copper) is a signed foil block print in colours on Arches paper produced by renowned contemporary artist, Damien Hirst. In the print, Hirst renders a skull in the centre of the composition. Hirst uses a bold turquoise with hints of panama copper which contrast strikingly with the plain background.

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The print, produced in 2009, is part of the artist’s The Dead series. The series is composed of thirty-one prints, all of which depict a floating skull. The skulls rendered in each print in The Dead series are identical, unlike Hirst’s other series, I Once Was What You Are, You Will Be What I Am (2007), in which each skull is slightly different. However, Hirst does use a unique combination of colours for each skull, which differs from the black and white approach he takes in I Once Was What You Are, You Will Be What I Am (2007), and Memento (2008).

Skulls have assumed a central role in Hirst’s iconography. Alongside butterflies and diamonds, skulls are closely associated with the artist’s visual language. The skull itself acts as a memento mori, a visual reminder of the inevitability of death. Indeed, Hirst is fascinated by death and frequently explores this theme in his other artworks.