Morgyn Edwards

I've always liked Damien Hirst work, if only for the fact it creates so much discussion about art and what art is. My favourite pieces of his were the animals in formaldehyde. Specifically the piece ‘ The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living’ as it is something which cause a lot of debate between my friends and I.

 

Photo by Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images

Now Hirst has been one of a series of artists asked to 'ink' volunteers for the forthcoming magazine ' Garage' and has produced a tattoo of a butterfly on the  labia of a girl, which  has been photographed and will be on the cover of the first issue (with some censorship). Amy Fleming, writing for the Guardian states the collection of work is meant to symbolise ' The works play on notions of who owns the art and what it's worth, while referencing tattooing's popularity reaching saturation point.', to me it's more about looking at the idea of people who claim that their ' body is a canvas', if it is a canvas then who is the artist? The person whose design the tattoo is? The tattoo artist? And if you consider your body a canvas are you objectifying yourself? Can a body become a private, living gallery?

Garage Magazine featuring Damian Hirst's tattoo. Photograph: PR