High Windows & Lepidopterists...

Damien Hirst's upcoming show at Gagosian (LA) will feature mosaics of butterfly wings masquerading as stained glass windows. They are exceedingly beautiful and will no doubt raise the hackles of animal rights people here as they did in the UK. I'm not sure if animals were harmed in the making of these works, although I wouldn't be surprised. Earlier butterfly works of his were made by allowing them to land on wet canvasses where they became forever stuck.

While we're on the topic, is there a connection between stained glass windows and cartoons? The rich primary colors, the thick black outlines, the graphic storytelling, the sense of awe and delight they bring to young (and older) eyes... Could our love of illustrative comics be rooted in our early exposure to stained glass? Or is it more likely that our appreciation of stained glass stems from our deep, vaguely spiritual identification with Bugs Bunny? More mysteries to ponder...

(click on image for large version of Damien Hirst's butterfly collage)