Jacob Epstein and Damien Hirst
Birth, Death and Religion
Jacob Epstein and his work are central to the Garman Ryan Collection. During 2013 the collection acts as host for Damien Hirst’s work enabling visitors to view both artist’s work together.
Spanning the two ends of the 20th century, these two great artists share many similarities. Both artists were and still are regarded as extreme innovators who shocked and scandalised both the art world and the general public with their artworks, challenging the attitudes and social conventions of their day.
Though Jacob Epstein died in 1959 –six years before Damien Hirst was born– they both deal with the universal themes of life, birth, death and religion which have been the subject matter of artists for many centuries. The work they both produce around these interrelated concerns highlights the way that artistic practices have changed throughout the 20th century along with our social attitudes towards them.
The selected works by Epstein in this exhibition drawn from Walsall’s collections highlight these themes.
Free Talks introducing the Garman Ryan Collection take place every Wednesday and Saturday at 1pm.
Image credit: Jacob Epstein, Son God, pencil and watercolour. On loan from prinvate collection.
