Damien Hirst

Strummerville Charity, England (donation of the artist)
Sotheby's, London, 16 September 2008, Lot 109
Acquired from the above sale by the present owner

This work is in excellent condition overall. All butterflies are all accounted for and well intact to the canvas. Under close inspection there is evidence of a very minor split in the wing of a butterfly that is in the right center of the canvas, approximately 17 inches from the right edge and 40 inches from the top edge of the canvas. This work was not examined out of its frame. Framed under Plexiglas.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Damien Hirst made his very first Spin Paintings in 1992 in his studio in Brixton, London. He bestowed the works with wittily convoluted titles that were to become a hallmark of the series, such as Beautiful Ray of Sunshine on a Rainy Day Painting and Beautiful where did all the colour go painting. When Hirst started the Spins in earnest in 1994 on circular shaped canvases, they became one of the most instantly recognizable and popular series to date.  

The present work, Beautiful Love Strummerville with Beautiful Butterflies, is unique for its combination of both the spin technique and Hirst’s use of exotic butterflies. Butterflies, both living and dead, have long occupied a position of the utmost centrality in Hirst's production ever since the early 1990s. Recounting his formative interest in these creatures, Hirst explains: "I had them in my bedroom...I got wooden frames and nylon mesh and I made a huge box...I found out where you could buy the pupae and all that kind of stuff and I got them all. I got them all in my bedroom and I bred them in my bedroom. I remember it because it was so cramped. There was only room for me bed and the box" (the artist in Exh. Cat., Naples, Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Damien Hirst, 2004-2005, p. 78). 

Following Joe Strummer's untimely death, his family and friends launched Strummerville, a charitable foundation for the production of new music. The main aim of Strummerville is to provide benefits to individuals, groups and organizations to enable the production of music by creative young people who would otherwise be prevented from doing so simply because they lack the necessary funds.  

Representing a resplendent and iconic exemplification of Hirst’s most career-defining concerns, Beautiful Love Strummerville with Beautiful Butterflies announces a suspended animation of love, beauty and a celebration of life.