Phlegyas

Phlegyas is part of Hirst’s Entomology Works series, a series of prints which are made using the advanced lenticular printing technique. The lenticular technique creates the illusion of depth, making the insects stand out from the print, appearing to be multi-dimensional. The prints in the series are each named after phases and characters in Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy, a long Italian narrative poem from the 12th century.

Hirst has often explored using insects in his artworks, and they have become a trademark feature of the artist’s visual language. Other works which feature insects are the Kaleidoscope Paintings, in which hundreds of butterflies are arranged into spectacular kaleidoscope patterns. Hirst was drawn to insects because to capture the fragility of life and can be used to explore themes of life and death which interest the artist greatly. Hirst argues that insects are beautiful, even when they are dead, which makes these prints both “beautiful and horrific at the same time.”