Damien Hirst
The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, 2012
Lithographic Poster
50 x 60 cm
Produced in 2012
The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, 2012
Original lithographic poster, of the iconic work 'The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living' created in 2012.
The early work which set the foundation for the upcoming success and critical acclaim for Hirst is The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living or colloquially known as The Shark made by the artist in 1991. It is an actual tiger shark preserved in formaldehyde in a vitrine, and this installation was commissioned by Charles Saatchi who was willing to pay for whatever artwork Hirst wanted to produce. The animal was caught by a commissioned fisherman in Hervey Bay in Queensland, and the artist's desire was to have a specimen "big enough to eat you".