“Beautiful Mystical Exploding Sun Clouds Taste Metallic,” by Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne and world-renowned artist Damien Hirst was recently named a 2023 CODAawards Top 100 winner.
The CODAawards Top 100 are the world’s most successful projects integrating commissioned art into interior, architectural or public spaces. Honorees include commissioned public art from across the globe.
The expansive artwork is an 18’ x 18’ spin painting on display in the mezzanine of the Oklahoma City Convention Center. This project serves as a welcoming attraction for visitors and a placemaking initiative.
OKC residents and visitors are invited to vote in the CODAawards People’s Choice Award. Voting for the award is open until July 31. The top 2 projects receiving the most votes will be crowned People’s Choice winners.
The art’s journey
The painting was co-created by Coyne and Hirst at Hirst’s art hangar in Gloucestershire, England, more than a decade ago. Coyne loaned the art to the City for ten years. It appraised for more than $1.5 million.
The painting was initially housed at a building in Automobile Alley Coyne rented and named “The Womb” (currently Factory Obscura). Because of its colossal size, the painting was suspended from the ceiling, where it hung for several years.
Coyne began conversations with Mayor David Holt on a long-term place the public could view the piece. After visits to area museums, they decided the new Oklahoma City Convention Center was the ideal place because of the wall size and the number of annual visitors to the center.
Kasum Contemporary Fine Art, Inc., an Oklahoma City company, prepared the massive artwork for display. They moved the painting from storage, stretched the canvas out over several sessions and secured the work to the convention center’s wall.
About the artists
Coyne is the frontman of the band The Flaming Lips, which he formed in 1983. The band has toured around the globe and always draws large crowds for their festival performances. The band is a three-time Grammy Awards winner and is best known for their song “She Don’t Use Jelly.”
Hirst is a British artist, entrepreneur and art collector who emerged on the international art scene in the late 1980s. His installations, sculptures, paintings and drawings “examine the complex relationships between art and beauty, religion and science, and life and death.” He is one of the Young British Artists (YBAs) who dominated the art scene in the UK during the 1990s and is one of the world’s wealthiest living artists.
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Media Contact
Kristy Yager
(405) 297-2550
kristy.yager@okc.gov
