Visual Culture Database Form ARTE 344/544 Spring 2024

Provider: Hannah Beach

VCDB #: 2

Big
Idea/Subject:
Nature and
culture
Major
Theme:
Life and death
in nature
Medium/
Size:
28in x 28in x
1in
Visual
Components:
Color
Harmony
Movement
Radiation
Form
Category:
Fine Arts
Pop art
Pop culture
Non-art

Authorship: Damien Hirst

Title of Beautiful Happy Vortex While Painting (with butterflies)
work:
Location of JD Malat Gallery in London, United Kingdom
work:
Description: The piece is circular and has bursts of colors such as red, green, blue, pink, black, and
orange coming from the center as if they are going inside the canvas. There are
butterflies scattered throughout the circle as if they are flying throughout the space.
Interpretatin: I interpret this piece as representing the beautiful chaos that is the natural cycle of life
and death within nature. The colors are very vibrant giving off a very joyful and even
exciting feeling, and all these colors are collecting towards the center of the piece, giving
it a lot of depth. Because of this we cannot tell if the butterflies are flying out of or being
sucked into the colors.
Use in My lesson idea for this piece would be to cut out cardboard circles or wooden circles,
Teaching attach it to a drill behind it somehow, and have the students pour paint onto the canvas
(Lesson Idea while it is spinning to get a similar effect. I would want to have the students explore
and different ways paint can be used, it would force them to think about how different colors
medium) can complement each other, and how we can create expressive moods within a piece.
3-5 Guiding  Besides using brushes, what are other ways that paint can be used?
Questions:  How did Hirst utilize paint in this piece?
 Think about the colors he used. Why do you think he chose these colors?
Image https://www.artland.com/artworks/beautiful-happy-vortex-whirl-painting-with-
Source (url): butterflies