DAMIEN HIRST
Aubade
Crown of Glory, 2006
Butterflies and household gloss on canvas
115-7/8 x 96-1/8 inches

Contemporary art has so many entry points for thinking and talking about faith, despite what you'd gather from reading a lot of the Christianity and art books. One of contemporary art's most infamous artists is also one of the quickest to bring up issues of religion. His work is not coming from a Christian perspective, but as Christians we can see there are many redemptive (and many problematic) qualities to his work.

The mass media has made Hirst's formaldehyde animals the most familiar of his art, the shark suspended in formaldehyde titled "The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living" being the primary example. 

His exhibit titled Superstition at the Gagosian Gallery in 2007 introduced a new look for Hirst that I've just recently become familiar with. Many Christians dismiss contemporary art because they can't make sense of an art world where beauty is no longer the guiding value. But what about these butterfly pieces? They are undeniably and remarkably beautiful. 

Of course, they are still also about Hirst's major theme – death. The butterflies seen here are real butterflies sealed to canvas under household gloss.