Diacetoxyscirpenol damien hirst biography

British artist (born 1965)

Damien Steven Hirst (; né Brennan; resident 7 June 1965) is stop off English artist and art collector.^[1] He was one of depiction Young British Artists (YBAs) who dominated the art scene induce the UK during the 1990s.^[2][3] He is reportedly the Pooled Kingdom's richest living artist, find out his wealth estimated at US$384 million in the 2020 Sunday Times Rich List.^[4][5][6] During goodness 1990s his career was truthfully linked with the collector River Saatchi, but increasing frictions came to a head in 2003 and the relationship ended.^[7]

Death psychotherapy a central theme in Hirst's works.^[8][9] He became famous expend a series of artworks pavement which dead animals (including a-one shark, a sheep, and trig cow) are preserved, sometimes taking accedence been dissected, in formaldehyde.

Integrity best-known of these is The Physical Impossibility of Death loaded the Mind of Someone Living, a 14-foot (4.3 m) tiger rogue immersed in formaldehyde in shipshape and bristol fashion clear display case.

In Sep 2008, Hirst made an unexampled move for a living artist^[10] by selling a complete extravaganza, Beautiful Inside My Head Forever, at Sotheby's by auction splendid bypassing his long-standing galleries.^[11] Honourableness auction raised £111 million ($198 million), ending the record for a one-artist auction^[12] as well as Hirst's own record with £10.3 million use The Golden Calf, an pet with 18-carat gold horns vital hooves, preserved in formaldehyde.^[11]

Since 1999, Hirst's works have been challenged and contested as plagiarised 16 times.

In one instance, tail end his sculpture Hymn was perform to be closely based group a child's toy, legal group led to an out-of-court settlement.^[13]

Early life and training

Hirst was dropped Damien Steven Brennan in Bristol^[14][15] and grew up in Metropolis with his Irish mother who worked for the Citizens Counsel Bureau.

He never met culminate father; his mother married her majesty stepfather when Hirst was a handful of, and the couple divorced 10 years later. His stepfather was reportedly a motor mechanic.^[16]

His sluggishness stated that she lost knob of her son when lighten up was young; he was detention on two occasions for shoplifting.^[16] Hirst sees her as kindly who would not tolerate rebellion: she cut up his detention trousers and heated one another his Sex Pistols vinyl rolls museum on the cooker to deed it into a fruit bowl^[17] (or a plant pot).^[18] Good taste says, "If she didn't affection how I was dressed, she would quickly take me manipulate from the bus stop".

She did, though, encourage his affection for drawing, which was rulership only successful educational subject.^[17]

His rip open teacher at Allerton Grange Educational institution "pleaded"^[17] for Hirst to live allowed to enter the ordinal form,^[17] where he took yoke A-levels, achieving an "E" seminar in art.^[16] He was refused admission to Jacob Kramer Institution when he first applied, on the other hand attended the art school provision a subsequent successful application occasion the Foundation Diploma course.^[16]

He went to an exhibition of get something done by Francis Davison, staged wishywashy Julian Spalding at the Hayward Gallery in 1983.^[19] Davison built abstract collages from torn snowball cut coloured paper which, Hirst said, "blew me away", sit which inspired his own uncalled-for for the next two years.^[19]

He worked for two years respect London building sites, then wilful Fine Art at Goldsmiths Faculty (1986–89),^[16] although again he was refused a place the primary time he applied.^{[citation needed]} Weighty 2007, Hirst was quoted pass for saying of An Oak Tree by Goldsmiths' senior tutor, Archangel Craig-Martin: "That piece is, Distracted think, the greatest piece party conceptual sculpture.

I still can't get it out of slump head."^[20] While a student, Hirst had a placement at uncomplicated mortuary, an experience that artificial his later themes and materials.^[21] While an art student, Hirst was an assistant at Suffragist d'Offay's gallery.^[22][23][24]

Early career—student and storeroom shows

Main article: Freeze (art exhibition)

In July 1988, in his in the second place year at Goldsmiths College, Hirst was the main organiser refreshing an independent student exhibition, Freeze, in a disused London Portend Authority administrative block in London's Docklands.

He gained sponsorship disclose this event from the Author Docklands Development Corporation. The county show was visited by Charles Saatchi, Norman Rosenthal and Nicholas Serota, thanks to the influence garbage his Goldsmiths lecturer Michael Craig-Martin. Hirst's own contribution to loftiness show consisted of a lump 1 of cardboard boxes painted extra household paint.^[25] After graduating, Hirst was included in New Contemporaries show and in a agency show at Kettle's Yard assembly in Cambridge.

Seeking a assembly dealer, he first approached Karsten Schubert, but was turned gibe.

Hirst, along with his chum Carl Freedman and Billee Sellman, curated two enterprising "warehouse" shows in 1990, Modern Medicine explode Gambler, in a Bermondsey grass Peek Freans biscuit factory they designated "Building One".^[26][27] Saatchi entered at the second show detour a green Rolls-Royce and, according to Freedman, stood open-mouthed be in connection with astonishment in front of (and then bought) Hirst's first elder "animal" installation, A Thousand Years, consisting of a large quantity case containing maggots and shingle feeding on a rotting cow's head.^[28] They also staged Archangel Landy's Market.^[27] At this former, Hirst said, "I can't mark time to get into a identify to make really bad transmit and get away with scheduled.

At the moment if Wild did certain things people would look at it, consider tedious and then say 'f off'. But after a while support can get away with things."^[19]

Professional career

This section needs expansion with: garb, secondary source-based coverage of greater career milestones, including since 2010. You can help by estimate to it. (February 2017)

1987–1990

1987 – Damien Hirst and Holden Rowan, Old Court Gallery, Windsor Study Centre, Windsor, UK – Ranger Derek Culley^[29]

1988 – Damien Hirst: Constructions and Sculpture, Old Pay one`s addresses to Gallery, Windsor, UK -Curator Derek Culley^[29]

1988 – Freeze, Surrey Docks, London, UK^[29]

1989 – New Era, Institute of Contemporary Arts, Author, UK^[29]

1990 – Modern Medicine, Assets One, London, UK^[29]

1990 – Change one\'s mind, Building One, London, UK^[29]

1990 – Building One, Emmanuel Perrotin Assemblage, Paris, FR^[29]

1991–1994

His first solo display, organised by Tamara Chodzko (now Dial), In and Out for Love, was held in ending unused shop on Woodstock Boulevard in central London in 1991;^[30] already in 1989 he abstruse been part of a company exhibition at the Institute give an account of Contemporary Arts,^[31] and the Emmanuel Perrotin Gallery in Paris.^[32] Birth Serpentine Gallery presented the premier survey of the new fathering of artists with the show Broken English,^[33] in part curated by Hirst.^[34] In 1991 Hirst met the up-and-coming art tradesman, Jay Jopling, who then trivial him.^[35]

In 1991, Charles Saatchi abstruse offered to fund whatever share Hirst wanted to make, streak the result was showcased bolster 1992 in the first Young British Artists exhibition at say publicly Saatchi Gallery in North Writer.

Hirst's work was titled The Physical Impossibility of Death force the Mind of Someone Living and was a shark stop in midsentence formaldehyde in a vitrine, current sold for £50,000.^[36] The crook had been caught by fastidious commissioned fisherman in Australia president had cost £6,000.^[37] The sun-drenched also included In a Yard Years.

As a result stand for the show, Hirst was downhearted for that year's Turner Adore, but it was awarded look after Grenville Davey.

Hirst's first vital international presentation was in righteousness Venice Biennale in 1993 angst the work, Mother and Baby Divided, a cow and deft calf cut into sections most important exhibited in a series be more or less separate vitrines.

He curated decency show Some Went Mad, Tiresome Ran Away in 1994 miniature the Serpentine Gallery in Author, where he exhibited Away shun the Flock (a sheep row a tank of formaldehyde). Travesty 9 May, Mark Bridger, clever 35-year-old artist from Oxford, walked into the gallery and poured black ink into the tankful, and retitled the work Black Sheep.

He was subsequently prosecuted, at Hirst's wish, and was given two years' probation.^{[citation needed]} The sculpture was restored disagree a cost of £1,000. As a photograph of Away take from the Flock was reproduced stuff the 1997 book by Hirst I want to spend righteousness rest of my life without exception, with everyone, one-to-one, always, for good and all, now, the vandalism was referenced by allowing the tank exhaustively be obscured by pulling uncut card, reproducing the effect pale ink being poured into distinction tank; this resulted in Hirst being sued by Bridger obey violating his copyright on Black Sheep.^[38]

1995–1999

In 1995, Hirst won character Turner Prize.

New York toggle health officials banned Two Relations and Two Watching featuring nifty rotting cow and bull, now of fears of "vomiting amid the visitors".^{[citation needed]} There were solo shows in Seoul, Writer and Salzburg. He directed glory video for the song Country House for the band Haziness.

No Sense of Absolute Corruption, his first solo show bring off the Gagosian Gallery in Additional York was staged the succeeding year. In London the limited film, Hanging Around, was shown—written and directed by Hirst take precedence starring Eddie Izzard. In 1997 the Sensation exhibition opened bundle up the Royal Academy in Writer.

A Thousand Years and molest works by Hirst were designated, but the main controversy occurred over other artists' works. Migration was nevertheless seen as high-mindedness formal acceptance of the YBAs into the establishment.^[39]

In 1997, climax autobiography and art book, I Want To Spend the Catch your eye of My Life Everywhere, suggest itself Everyone, One to One, Invariably, Forever, Now, was published.

Coworker Alex James of the necessitate Blur and actor Keith Histrion, he formed the band Fleshy Les, achieving a number 2 hit with a raucous football-themed song Vindaloo, followed up gross Jerusalem with the London Homosexual Men's Chorus. Hirst also varnished a simple colour pattern be thankful for the Beagle 2 probe.

That pattern was to be worn to calibrate the probe's cameras after it had landed wait Mars. He turned down primacy British Council's invitation to attach the UK's representative at decency 1999 Venice Biennale because "it didn't feel right".^[40] He near extinction to sue British Airways claiming a breach of copyright put the lid on an advert design with colored spots for its low expenses airline, Go.^[41]

2000–2004

In 2000, Hirst's figure Hymn (which Saatchi had legionnaire for a reported £1m) was given pole position at interpretation show Ant Noises (an read of "sensation") in the Saatchi Gallery.

Hirst was then sued himself for breach of flagrant over this sculpture (see Piracy below).^[42] Hirst sold three ultra copies of his sculpture stick up for similar amounts to the first.^[43] In September 2000, in Recent York, Larry Gagosian held righteousness Hirst show, Damien Hirst: Models, Methods, Approaches, Assumptions, Results celebrated Findings.

100,000 people visited representation show in 12 weeks esoteric all the work was sold.^[44]

On 10 September 2002, on description eve of the first appointment of the 9/11 World Dealings Center attacks, Hirst said enjoy an interview with BBC Information Online:

The thing about 911 is that it's kind wages like an artwork in fraudulence own right.

It was unprincipled, but it was devised worry this way for this devoted of impact. It was devised visually... You've got to attend to it to them on divers level because they've achieved accent which nobody would have every time have thought possible, especially work to rule a country as big chimpanzee America.

So on one flush they kind of need congratulating, which a lot of persons shy away from, which keep to a very dangerous thing.^[45]

The succeeding week, following public outrage energy his remarks, he issued orderly statement through his company, Technique Ltd:

I apologise unreservedly progress to any upset I have caused, particularly to the families line of attack the victims of the rumour on that terrible day.^[46]

In 2002, Hirst gave up smoking tell drinking after his wife Maia had complained and "had bung move out because I was so horrible".^[47] He had tumble Joe Strummer (former lead songster of The Clash) at Glastonbury in 1995, becoming good convention and going on annual holidays with him.

Just at one time Christmas 2002, Strummer died rivalry a heart attack. This esoteric a profound effect on Hirst, who said, "It was significance first time I felt mortal". He subsequently devoted a climax of time to founding orderly charity, Strummerville, to help grassy musicians.^[17]

In April 2003, the Saatchi Gallery opened at new provisions in County Hall, London, market a show that included unembellished Hirst retrospective.

This brought swell developing strain in his pleasure with Saatchi to a head^[7] (one source of contention challenging been who was most answerable for boosting their mutual profile). Hirst disassociated himself from dignity retrospective to the extent vacation not including it in ruler CV.^[7] He was angry ditch a Mini car that put your feet up had decorated for charity communicate his trademark spots was sheet exhibited as a serious artwork.^[7] The show also scuppered smart prospective Hirst retrospective at Resident Modern.^[7] He said Saatchi was "childish"^[17] and "I'm not River Saatchi's barrel-organ monkey ...

Good taste only recognises art with sovereign wallet ... he believes pacify can affect art values meet buying power, and he yet believes he can do it."^[7]

In September 2003, he had break off exhibition Romance in the Register of Uncertainty at Jay Jopling'sWhite Cube gallery in London, which made him a reported £11m,^[17] bringing his wealth to stumble over £35m.

It was reported renounce a sculpture, Charity, had back number sold for £1.5m to neat as a pin Korean, Kim Chang-Il, who intentional to exhibit it in top department store's gallery in Seoul.^[48] The 22-foot (6.7m), 6-ton chisel was based on the Decade Spastic Society's model, which psychotherapy of a girl in rag irons holding a collecting casket.

In Hirst's version the collection box is shown broken gaping and is empty.

Charity was exhibited in the centre near Hoxton Square, in front introduce White Cube. Inside the gathering downstairs were 12 vitrines as far as something Jesus's disciples, each case inclusive of mostly gruesome, often blood-stained, the poop indeed relevant to the particular pupil.

At the end was spruce empty vitrine, representing Christ. Heavens were four small glass cases, each containing a cow's sense stuck with scissors and knives. It has been described bring in an "extraordinarily spiritual experience" entail the tradition of Catholic imagery.^[49] At this time Hirst hireling back 12 works from Saatchi (a third of Saatchi's means of Hirst's early works), check Jay Jopling, reportedly for further than £8 million.

Hirst had sell these pieces to Saatchi hole the early 1990s for relatively less, his first installations costing under £10,000.^[7]

On 24 May 2004, a fire in the Momart storage warehouse destroyed many shop from the Saatchi collection, containing 17 of Hirst's, although ethics sculpture Charity survived, as nowin situation was outside in the builder's yard.

That July, Hirst supposed of Saatchi, "I respect River. There's not really a animosity. If I see him, incredulity speak, but we were conditions really drinking buddies."^[17]

Hirst designed a- cover image for the Band Aid 20 charity single featuring the "Grim Reaper" in conventional 2004, and image showing pull out all the stops African child perched on ruler knee.^[50] This design was shriek to the liking of dignity record company executives,^[who?] and was replaced by reindeer in character snow standing next to unadulterated child.^[51]

In December 2004, The Profane Impossibility of Death in depiction Mind of Someone Living was sold by Saatchi to Indweller collector Steve Cohen, for $8 million, in a deal negotiated tough Hirst's New York agent, Gagosian.^[52] Cohen, a Greenwich hedge sponsor manager, then donated the swipe to The Metropolitan Museum albatross Art, New York.

Sir Bishop Serota had wanted to procure it for the Tate Drift, and Hugo Swire, Shadow Ecclesiastic for the Arts, tabled put in order question to ask if representation government would ensure it stayed in the country.^[53]

2005–2009

Hirst exhibited 30 paintings at the Gagosian Veranda in New York in Foot it 2005.

These had taken 3½ years to complete. They were closely based on photos, regularly by assistants (who were turn around between paintings) but with smashing final finish by Hirst.^[54] Along with in 2005, Hirst founded honourableness art book publisher Other Criteria.^[55]

In February 2006, he opened clean major show in Mexico, sharpen up the Hilario Galguera Gallery, commanded The Death of God, En route for a Better Understanding of Discrimination without God aboard The Carry of Fools, an exhibition defer attracted considerable media coverage orang-utan Hirst's first show in Standard America.^[56] In June that harvest, he exhibited alongside the stick of Francis Bacon (Triptychs) hit out at the Gagosian Gallery, Britannia Classification, London, an exhibition that charade the vitrine, A Thousand Years (1990), and four triptychs: paintings, medicine cabinets and a additional formaldehyde work entitled The Tidiness of Solitude (For George Dyer), influenced by Bacon.^[57]

A Thousand Years (1990)^[58] contains an actual humanity cycle.

Maggots hatch inside fine white minimal box, turn happen upon flies, then feed on spruce up bloody, severed cow's head discount the floor of a claustrophobic glass vitrine. Above, hatched sincere buzz around in the blocked space. Many meet a berserk end in an insect-o-cutor; barrenness survive to continue the cycle.^[59]A Thousand Years was admired offspring Bacon, who in a put to death to a friend a moon before he died, wrote slow the experience of seeing authority work at the Saatchi Listeners in London.^[60] Margarita Coppack note that "It is as supposing Bacon, a painter with pollex all thumbs butte direct heir in that slight, was handing the baton clash to a new generation."^[61] Hirst has openly acknowledged his liability to Bacon,^[62] absorbing the painter's visceral images and obsessions initially on and giving them genuine existence in sculptural form snatch works like A Thousand Years.^[63]

Hirst gained the world record construe the most expensive work female art by a living artist—his Lullaby Spring in June 2007,^[64] when a 3-metre-wide steel cupboard with 6,136 pills sold stick up for 19.2 million dollars to Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the Ruler of Qatar.^[64]

In June 2007, Beyond Belief, an exhibition of Hirst's new work, opened at decency White Cube gallery in Author.

The centre-piece, a Memento Mori titled For the Love center God, was a human rocker recreated in platinum and bare with 8,601 diamonds weighing on the rocks total of 1,106.18 carats.^[65] Valuation £15,000,000 worth of diamonds were used. It was modelled doodle an 18th-century skull, but ethics only surviving human part describe the original is the licence.

The asking price for For the Love of God was £50,000,000 ($100 million or 75 million euros). It didn't sell outright,^[66] mushroom on 30 August 2008 was sold to a consortium think about it included Hirst himself and consummate gallery White Cube.^[66]

In November 2008, the skull was exhibited equal the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam jiffy to an exhibition of paintings from the museum collection elite by Hirst.

Wim Pijbes, probity museum director, said of blue blood the gentry exhibition, "It boosts our replicate. Of course, we do class Old Masters but we wily not a 'yesterday institution'. It's for now. And Damien Hirst shows this in a progress strong way."^[67]

Responding to this put across at the Rijksmuseum and bring forth the piece more generally come by a feature-length article on primacy entwined histories of European pass on and double-entry bookkeeping, the pattern historian Rachel Cohen wrote:^[68]

Two era [after the sale of For the Love of God], touch financial markets imploding on now and again side, it was reported lose concentration the work had in occurrence been sold to a tenure company that turned out interested consist of Hirst's gallerist, sovereignty business manager, his friend honesty Russian billionaire art collector Viktor Pinchuk, and Hirst himself.

Here were then those who, everlasting at their own newly bare stock portfolios, found in excellence title apt expression of their feelings. The work itself, set about its diamond-laden eye sockets with the addition of its original inhabitant's grinning dentition, seems unperturbed by any emotionlessness of value in the monetarist or art markets. It does not matter to this questioning epitome of our glittering exposй whether it was made use the love of anything on the contrary more zeroes.

In December 2008, Hirst contacted the Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS) demanding summation be taken over works as well as images of his skull statuette For the Love of God made by a 16-year-old graffito artist, Cartrain, and sold send off the internet gallery 100artworks.com.

Treatise the advice of his verandah, Cartrain handed over the artworks to DACS and forfeited prestige £200 he had made; type said, "I met Christian Zimmermann [from DACS] who told primed Hirst personally ordered action bottleneck the matter."^[69] In June 2009, copyright lawyer Paul Tackaberry compared the two images and aforementioned, "This is fairly non-contentious honestly.

Ask yourself, what portion be paid the original–and not just nobility quantity but also the quality–appears in the new work? Assuming a 'substantial portion' of primacy 'original' appears in the additional work, then that's all paying attention need for copyright infringement... Quantitatively about 80% of the command is in the second image."^[70]

In April – September 2009, class exhibition Requiem took place corner the Victor Pinchuk art nucleus.

In October 2009, Hirst ajar that he had been representation with his own hand amuse a style influenced by Francis Bacon for several years. Fulfil show of these paintings, No Love Lost, was at picture Wallace Collection in London.^[71]

2010–2014

In 2011, Damien Hirst designed the droop of the Red Hot Dish Peppers album I'm with You.^[72]

Hirst's representation of the British Combining Flag formed the arena star for the 2012 Summer Olympiad closing ceremony in London.^[73] Admire January 2013, Hirst became goodness third British artist to devise the Brit Awards statue avail oneself of his signature NEO-Pop art category inspired by his 2000 Hallucinogen "spot painting."^[74] In October 2014, Hirst exhibited big scale capsules, pills and medicines at honesty Paul Stolper Gallery titled, Schizophrenogenesis.^[75][76]

2015–present

In April 2016, a study obtainable in Analytical Methods claimed Hirst's preserved carcasses leaked formaldehyde hot air above legal limits at Stateowned Modern; however, this study was shown to be flawed.^[77]

In 2017, he organised with Pinault Construct a solo exhibition, in Venezia contemporarily to the Biennale consider it two places in the city: Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana.

The title was Treasures from the Wreck of integrity Unbelievable, purporting to present past treasures from a sunken Hellenic ship, with pieces that lay out from Ancient Egyptian-alike items smash into Disney character reproductions, encrusted narrow shells and corals.^[78]

In July 2021 through January 2022, Hirst's stack Cherry Blossoms was exhibited balanced the Foundation Cartier in Paris.^[79] The exhibition was then stirred to the National Art Spirit in Tokyo in 2022.

Ethics show marked Hirst's first older solo exhibition in Japan.^[80]

The Carnal Impossibility of Death in rectitude Mind of Someone Living

Main article: The Physical Impossibility of Impermanence in the Mind of Sympathetic Living

This artwork features a sizeable tiger shark suspended in aldehyde.

The tank in which ethics shark is floating creates magnanimity illusion of the animal personage cut into three pieces question paper to the container looking regard three separate sections. The swipe was created in 1991, duct since then, the formaldehyde preserve the shark has slowly beatup away at the animal's target, which shows signs of decay.^[81] Hirst says that the gas surrounding the shark is greatness process of death and decay.^[52]

Some critics argue that the minimalistic qualities of the work, simultaneous with the 'stereotypical' death topic, are too bland for much a prestigious artist.

One essayist wrote, "But the famous cheat, shackled to its coffeebar-existentialist reputation – The Physical Impossibility party Death in the Mind funding Someone Living – seems shrewd more dilapidated, more fairground sideshow, with every dowdy showing. What clichéd menace it may speedily have theoretically possessed has evaporated."^[82] Another art critic, Luke Chalky, disagrees, saying that others abstruse earlier perceived sharks "...as hideous and dangerous, but by class end of the century, they found them instead exhilarating, enthralling, and sublime." White argues give it some thought sharks have been seen significance transcendent, awe-inspiring creatures throughout centuries, a creature that is nobleness embodiment of sublimitude^{[clarification needed]} translation well as a metaphorical mannequin of our mind helps,^{[clarification needed]} relaying the importance of though special our thoughts really are.^{[verification needed][83]}

Main article: Beautiful Inside Overturn Head Forever

Beautiful Inside My Mind Forever was a two-day sale of Hirst's new work presume Sotheby's, London, taking place satisfy 15 and 16 September 2008.^[11] It was unusual as prohibited bypassed galleries and sold undeviatingly to the public.^[84] Writing ready money The Independent, Cahal Milmo oral that the idea of ethics auction was conceived by Hirst's business advisor of 13 stage, Frank Dunphy, who had admit overcome Hirst's initial reluctance gaze at the idea.^[85] Hirst eventually defended the concept and refuted description accusation that he was sole interested in making money:

People uniformly worry that money somehow tarnishes art, but I always idea it was disgusting that the public like Van Gogh never obliged any money.

It's important attend to make sure that the collapse takes precedence over the impoverish. Most people worry that come what may you lose your integrity. Plain said to me a progressive time ago: "Always have set a limit make sure that you help the money to chase prestige art and not the charade to chase the money." Advocate I think that's true; bolster have to look at ditch very carefully.^[86]

The sale raised £111 million ($198 million) for 218 items.^[12] Greatness auction exceeded expectations,^[12] and was ten times higher than dignity existing Sotheby's record for a-ok single artist sale,^[87] occurring bit the financial markets plunged.^[87]The Personal property Times said that Hirst's fold colleagues had "propped up"^[87] character sale prices, making purchases defender bids which totalled over section of the £70.5 million spent tenderness the first sale day:^[87]Harry Canker of the Haunch of Venison gallery said that bids were entered on behalf of customers wishing to acquire the work.^[87]

Hirst art collecting

In November 2006, Hirst was curator of In birth darkest hour there may engrave light, shown at the Meandering Gallery, London, the first high society exhibition of (a small trace of) his own collection.^[88] At present known as the 'murderme collection', this significant accumulation of crease spans several generations of intercontinental artists, from well-known figures specified as Francis Bacon, Jeff Koons, Tracey Emin, Richard Prince, Banksy and Andy Warhol, to Land painters such as John Bellany, John Hoyland, and Gary Hume,^[89] and artists in earlier initial of their careers Rachel Howard,^[90] David Choe, Ross Minoru Laing, Nicholas Lumb, Tom Ormond, don Dan Baldwin.^[91]

Hirst is currently restorative the Grade I listed Toddington Manor, near Cheltenham, where agreed intends to eventually house honourableness complete collection.^[92] In 2007, Hirst donated the 1991 sculptures The Acquired Inability to Escape move Life Without You and ethics 2002 work Who is Fearful of the Dark? (fly painting), and an exhibition copy immigrant 2007 of Mother and Babe Divided to Tate from dominion own personal collection of works.^[93]

In 2010, Hirst was among glory unsuccessful bidders to take rule the Magazine Building, a 19th-century structure in Kensington Gardens, which reopened in 2013 as picture Serpentine Sackler Gallery after disloyalty conversion by Zaha Hadid.^[94] Put in the bank March 2012, he outlined fulfil plans to open a drift in Vauxhall, London specifically organized to exhibit his personal abundance, which includes five pieces surpass Francis Bacon.

The Newport Avenue Gallery opened in October 2015. It is located in smashing former theater carpentry and terrain production workshops redesigned by Prick St John and Adam Tenor, and runs the length range Newport Street in Vauxhall.^[95][94]

Awards deed recognition

Hirst was nominated for authority Turner Prize in 1992, care his first Young British Artists exhibition at the Saatchi Veranda in North London, which facade his The Physical Impossibility sight Death..., with the award open to Grenville Davey that year.^[96]

Hirst won the Turner Prize call a halt 1995.^[97] He was asked around represent the UK in nobleness Venice Biennale in 1999 install to become a Royal Academian but refused.^[98]

In 2012, Hirst was among the British cultural icons selected by artist Sir Cock Blake to appear in straighten up new version of his textbook cover for the Beatles' Sgt.

Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, to celebrate the British traditional figures of his life go off he most admires.^[99]

Critical responses

Positive

Hirst has been praised in recognition hold his celebrity and the wolf down this has galvanised interest fell the arts, raising the biographical of British art and dollop to (re)create the image fall foul of "Cool Britannia." In the mid-1990s, the Heritage Secretary, Virginia Bottomley recognised him as "a early settler of the British art movement", and even sheep farmers were pleased he had raised add-on interest in British lamb.^[100]Janet Street-Porter praised his originality, which difficult brought art to new audiences and was the "art-world commensurate of the Oasis concerts claim Earl's Court".^[100]

Andres Serrano is besides known for shocking work stomach understands that contemporary fame does not necessarily equate to long-term fame, but backs Hirst: "Damien is very clever ...

Cardinal you get the attention ... Whether or not it last wishes stand the test of put on ice, I don't know, but Mad think it will."^[100]Sir Nicholas Serota commented, "Damien is something dig up a showman ... It denunciation very difficult to be proposal artist when there is thumping public and media attention.

On account of Damien Hirst has been serve as up as a very mo figure, there are plenty win sceptics ready to put say publicly knife in."^[100]

Tracey Emin said: "There is no comparison between him and me; he developed uncomplicated whole new way of invention art and he's clearly discern a league of his demur.

It would be like foundation comparisons with Warhol."^[101] Despite Hirst's insults to him, Saatchi stiff a staunch supporter, labelling Hirst a genius,^[100] and stating:

General art books dated 2105 option be as brutal about amendment the late 20th century rightfully they are about almost termination other centuries.

Every artist beat than Jackson Pollock, Andy Painter, Donald Judd and Damien Hirst will be a footnote.^[102]

Hirst was among the names in Poet Gopnik's 2011 list "The 10 Most Important Artists of Today", with Gopnik interpreting Hirst's pursuit as "a metaphor for in all events consumption has become our coaching force".^[103]

Negative

There has been equally trigger-happy opposition to Hirst's work.

Rule Hirst's work, the former Evening Standard art critic, Brian Sewell, expressed the following: "I don't think of it as relay ... It is no alternative interesting than a stuffed puncture over a pub door. Astoundingly there may well be extend art in a stuffed spear than a dead sheep."^[104]

The Stuckist art group was founded underneath 1999 with a specific anti-Britart agenda by Charles Thomson captain Billy Childish;^[105] Hirst is companionship of their main targets.

They wrote (referring to a Trench 4 programme on Hirst):

The fact that Hirst's work does mirror society is not tog up strength but its weakness – and the reason it task guaranteed to decline artistically (and financially) as current social modes become outmoded. What Hirst has insightfully observed of his spin-paintings in Life and Death stream Damien Hirst is the single comment that needs to reproduction made of his entire oeuvre: "They're bright and they're gay – but there's fuck specify there at the end classic the day."^[104]

In 2003, under probity title A Dead Shark Isn't Art, the Stuckism International Congregation exhibited a shark which challenging first been put on the population display two years before Hirst's by Eddie Saunders in monarch Shoreditch shop, JD Electrical Tackle.

Thomson asked, "If Hirst's crook is recognised as great shut, then how come Eddie's, which was on exhibition for several years beforehand, isn't? Do phenomenon perhaps have here an unrecognized artist of genius, who got there first, or is kick up a rumpus that a dead shark isn't art at all?"^[106] The Stuckists suggested that Hirst may conspiracy got the idea for enthrone work from Saunders' shop display.^[107]

In a 2008 Channel 4 pic called The Mona Lisa Curse, art critic Robert Hughes alleged that Hirst's work was "tacky" and "absurd".

Hughes said entrails was "a little miracle" defer the value of £5 million was put on Hirst's Virgin Mother (a 35-foot bronze statue), which was made by someone "with so little facility".^[108] Hughes denominated Hirst's shark in formaldehyde "the world's most over-rated marine organism" and attacked the artist joyfulness "functioning like a commercial brand", making the case that Hirst and his work proved go financial value was now righteousness only meaning that remained intend art.^[108]

Hirst's 2009 show, No Devotion Lost, of paintings by circlet own hand, at the Writer Collection in London, received "one of the most unanimously interdict responses to any exhibition lecture in living memory".^[71] Tom Lubbock take up The Independent called Hirst's occupation derivative, weak and boring:^[109] "Hirst, as a painter, is trouble about the level of neat as a pin not-very-promising, first-year art student."^[109]Rachel Campbell-Johnston of The Times said radiance was "shockingly bad".^[109] A 2012 exhibition of paintings by Hirst at the White Cube assembly in Bermondsey, entitled "Two Weeks One Summer", provoked in The Guardian the comment that Hirst "can kid himself he evenhanded an Old Master and imitate the art world go well ahead with the fantasy".^[110]

Julian Spalding, Island art critic and author receive the book Con Art – Why You Should Sell Your Damien Hirsts While You Can,^[111] has said,

It's often been future, seriously, that Damien Hirst give something the onceover a greater artist than Designer because he had the doctrine for a shark in precise tank whereas Michelangelo didn't possess the idea for his King ...

[but] The emperor has nothing on. When the denomination drops that these are moan art, it's all going thoroughly collapse. Hirst should not superiority in the Tate. He's troupe an artist. What separates Sculpturer from Hirst is that Carver was an artist and Hirst isn't.^[112][113]

Hirst's 2012 retrospective at prestige Tate Gallery, while setting papers for attendance, also received uncountable complaints.

"Members of the catholic wrote to the state-funded assembly accusing it of wasting taxpayers' money by showcasing art go off was 'repetitive', 'meaningless' and 'almost universally awful'."^[114]

Hirst's work has as well been a frequent subject get into criticism in the tabloid measure.

A Daily Mail headline read: "For 1,000 years art has been one of our amassed civilising forces. Today, pickled merchandise and soiled beds threaten get on the right side of make barbarians of us all." Norman Tebbit, commenting on character Sensation exhibition, wrote "Have they gone stark raving mad? Description works of the 'artist' instructions lumps of dead animals.

In attendance are thousands of young artists who didn't get a charm in, presumably because their out of a job was too attractive to wellbalanced people. Modern art experts under no circumstances learn."^[104]

Backdating claims

In March 2024, The Guardian reported that four be more or less Hirst's formaldehyde animal works, which were dated to the Nineties by Hirst's company Science Company, were actually made in 2017.

The four works in inquiry were made by preserving be grateful for formaldehyde a dove, two sharks, and two calves.^[115][116] In answer, Science Ltd. claimed that dignity dates the artist had designated to these works did call for represent the dates they were made, but rather the dates they were conceived.^[115]

In May 2024, The Guardian revealed that energy least 1,000 paintings of chatoyant dots on A4 paper, which were part of an sham project called The Currency, lapse Hirst had repeatedly claimed were "made in 2016" and mosey had the year '2016' register on them along with Hirst's signature were in fact actualized several years later than claimed.^[117] In response, lawyers for Hirst and Science Ltd.

did turn on the waterworks dispute that at least 1,000 of the paintings dated outsider 2016 were created years ulterior, but argued that it was Hirst's "usual practice" to time works from a conceptual center of attention project with the date fine the project's conception.^[117]

Appropriation and shoplifting claims

In 1999, chef Marco Pierre White said Hirst's Butterflies saving Mars had plagiarised his cause the downfall of work, Rising Sun, which lighten up then put on display unsavory the restaurant Quo Vadis observe place of Hirst's work.^[118]

In 2000, Hirst was sued for fissure of copyright over his figure, Hymn, which was a 20-foot (6.1 m), six ton, enlargement spot his son Connor's 14" Young Scientist Anatomy Set, designed impervious to Norman Emms, 10,000 of which are sold a year dampen Hull-based toy manufacturer Humbrol reserve £14.99 each.^[42] Hirst paid stop off undisclosed sum to two charities, Children Nationwide and the Knick-knack Trust, in an out-of-court settlement,^[42] as well as a "good will payment" to Emms.^[118] Decency charitable donation was less prior to Emms had hoped for.

Hirst also agreed to restrictions offer further reproductions of his sculpture.^[42]

In 2006, a graphic artist streak former research associate at authority Royal College of Art, Parliamentarian Dixon, author of 'Mathographics', designated that Hirst's print Valium difficult to understand "unmistakable similarities" to one surrounding his own designs.

Hirst's supervisor contested this by explaining glory origin of Hirst's piece was from a book The Penguin Dictionary of Curious and Engrossing Geometry (1991)—not realising this was one place where Dixon's contemplate had been published.^[118][119]

In 2007, master hand John LeKay, a friend uphold Damien Hirst between 1992 leading 1994, was reported by Dalya Alberge of The Times on a par with have provided ideas and inspirations for a variety of top later works, including having gain him a "marked-up duplicate copy" of a Carolina Biological Reasoning Company catalogue that LeKay challenging been using as inspiration gift supply for his work, code that "You have no impression how much he got shun this catalogue.

The Cow Bifid is on page 647—it assessment a model of a alarm divided down the centre, approximating his piece", a reference exhaustively Hirst's work Mother and Offspring, Divided, a cow and sura cut in half and set in formaldehyde.^[119] LeKay also suggests that Hirst copied the belief of For the Love lecture God from his work indictment crystal skulls in 1993, apophthegm, "I would like Damien relating to acknowledge that 'John really frank inspire the skull and studied my work a lot.'"^[119] Clear lawyer Paul Tackaberry reviewed carbons of LeKay's and Hirst's employment and saw no basis endow with any appropriation rising to illustriousness legal level of a flagrant infringement.^[70]

In 2010, in 3:AM Magazine and in The Jackdaw, River Thomson argued that there peal 15 cases where Hirst plagiaristic the work of others, together with his enlarged version of fraudster anatomical torso model, Hymn (1999) which Thomson presents alongside unornamented comparable John LeKay's anatomical chest model from Carolina Science, Yin and Yang (1990), and Hirst's In Nomine Patris [In authority Name of the Father] (2005), which presents a split-open crucified sheep in a tank chuck out formaldehyde, after John LeKay's comparably posed split-open crucified sheep, honoured This is My Body, That is My Blood (1987) equestrian on a wooden board.^{[120][121][122][123]} Strike examples cited were the departure of Hirst's cabinets with shelves and bottles, e.g., My Way (1991), which expanded to agree his room-size installation, Pharmacy (1992), which Thomson relates to unembellished Joseph Cornell display of commode with shelves and bottles, Pharmacy (1943); and Hirst's appropriation help concept from Lori Precious, who had made stained-glass window gear from butterfly wings from 1994, a number of years earlier Hirst.

The art gallery stinker sky: projects + editions avowed a selection of these activity by Precious at the Generation 06 Contemporary Art Fair detour London in October 2006, situation these pieces were viewed uncongenial a large audience and would have been seen at meander time, to have credibly antediluvian plagiarized.^{[120][122][123]} Thomson also suggested digress Hirst's spin paintings and induction of a ball on a-okay jet of air were very different from original, since similar pieces confidential been made in the 1960s.^{[120][122][123][124]} A spokesperson for Hirst uttered the article was "poor journalism" and that Hirst would fleece making a "comprehensive" rebuttal imbursement the claims.^[125]

In May 2017 Hirst was accused of copying impressive appropriating Yoruba art from Ilé-Ifẹ̀ in his work Golden Heads (Female), which was on air in his exhibition Treasures devour the Wreck of the Unbelievable at the Venice Biennale.^{[126][127][128]} Depiction work, said critics, was bawl given appropriate context for viewers.^[128]

Commenting on his collection, Hirst has said "As a human give off, as you go through bluff, you just do collect.

Effervescence was that sort of entropic collecting that I found interested in, just amassing behave while you're alive."^[129]

In 2022 principal and writer Joe Machine culprit Hirst of plagiarism of surmount cherry blossom paintings, the Sixteenth accusation of plagiarism against Hirst.^[130]

Hirst business ventures

This section needs expansion with: better source-based coverage of righteousness commercial aspects of Hirst's become aware of endeavours. You can help moisten adding to it. (February 2017)

Work philosophy

Although Hirst participated physically purchase the making of early works,^[131] he has always needed assistants—for instance, Carl Freedman helped house the first vitrines^[132]—and the coeval volume of work produced necessitates a "factory" setup.^[133] This has led to questions about genuineness, as was highlighted in 1997, when a spin painting turn this way Hirst said was a "forgery" appeared at sale,^{[citation needed]} allowing he had previously said ditch he often had nothing collide with do with the creation look after these pieces.^{[citation needed]}

Hirst whispered that he only painted cinque spot paintings himself because, "I couldn't be fucking arsed experience it"; he described his efforts as "shite"—"They're shit compared augment ...

the best person who ever painted spots for get paid was Rachel. She's brilliant. Set fucking brilliant. The best direct painting you can have disrespect me is one painted bypass Rachel." He also describes recourse painting assistant who was pass and asked for one incessantly the paintings. Hirst told move backward to, "'make one of your own.' And she said, 'No, I want one of yours.' But the only difference, in the middle of one painted by her reprove one of mine, is integrity money.'"^[134] By February 1999, deuce assistants had painted 300 spark paintings.

Hirst sees the hostile creative act as being honourableness conception, not the execution, abstruse that, as the progenitor hint at the idea, he is for that reason the artist:

Art goes on strengthen your head... If you held something interesting, that might suspect a title for a be concerned of art and I'd transcribe it down. Art comes overexert everywhere.

It's your response detection your surroundings. There are noteworthy ideas I've been working dapper for years, like how promote to make a rainbow in excellent gallery. I've always got unembellished massive list of titles, adequate ideas for shows, and build up works without titles.^[17]

Hirst is further known to volunteer repair take pains on his projects after systematic client has made a union.

For example, this service was offered in the case endlessly the suspended shark purchased close to Steven A. Cohen.^{[135][136][137]}

Restaurant ventures

Hirst challenging a short-lived partnership with cleaner Marco Pierre White in high-mindedness restaurant Quo Vadis.

His best-known restaurant involvement was Pharmacy, come to pass in Notting Hill, London, which closed in 2004. Although individual of the owners, Hirst difficult to understand only leased his art business to the restaurant, so forbidden was able to retrieve enthralled sell it at a Sotheby's auction, earning over £11 million.

Manifold of the work had antiquated adapted, e.g. by signing dedicated prior to the auction.^[138]

Hirst admiration a co-owner of the seafood restaurant, 11 The Quay, attach the English seaside town infer Ilfracombe.^[139] In 2016, Damien Hirst designed the interiors of diadem new restaurant Pharmacy 2 mad the Newport Street Gallery delete Vauxhall, London.^[140]

Net worth

Art by Hirst sold at his auction deceive 2008, Beautiful Inside My Purpose Forever, raised US$198 million Talented is said to be rectitude largest amount raised by stability living artist to date.^[141] Hirst is reputed to be illustriousness richest living artist to date.^[6] In 2009, the annually collated chart of the wealthiest society in Britain and Ireland, Personal property Times Rich List, placed Hirst at joint number 238 confront a net worth of £235m.^[142] Hirst's wealth was valued mass £215m in the 2010 Actual Times Rich List, making him Britain's wealthiest artist.^[5][143]

Works published, shown, sold

Written

This section needs expansion with: spot on list of written works, supported on some published source, sure of yourself each entry being complete presentday in good format, as in motion. You can help by objects to it. (February 2017)

Art

His scowl include:

Personal life

Between 1992 flourishing 2012, Hirst lived with coronate American girlfriend, Maia Norman, collect whom he has three reading, born 1995, 2000 and 2005.^{[153][better source needed]}

Since becoming a father, Hirst has spent most of his pause at his remote farmhouse nigh on Combe Martin in Devon.

Hirst and Norman were never married,^[154] although Hirst had referred sure of yourself Norman as his "common-law wife".^[155]

Hirst has admitted serious drug standing alcohol problems during a ten-year period from the early 1990s: "I started taking cocaine tell off drink... I turned into excellent babbling fucking wreck."^[134] During that time he was known verify his wild behaviour and chimerical acts including, for example, in any event a cigarette in the fall of his penis in main of journalists.^[156]

He is a link of Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood and 7-time World Spot Champion Ronnie O'Sullivan.^[157]

Charitable work

Hirst go over the main points a supporter of the undomesticated rights organisation, Survival International.^[158] Increase by two September 2008, Hirst donated rectitude work, Beautiful Love Survival, watch the Sotheby's London sale, Beautiful Inside My Head Forever, faith raise money for this organisation.^[159][160] Later, he also contributed climax writing to the book, We Are One: A Celebration delightful Tribal Peoples, released in Oct 2009, in support of Aliveness.

The book explores the vivacity of, and threats to, savage cultures around the world.^[161][162]

In 2016 he donated artworks for prestige secret auction of Art be acquainted with a Postcard,^[163] a charity presence the fight against Hepatitis C.^[164]

NFTs

In July 2021 Hirst announced tiara first NFT project, named The Currency: it consisted of 10,000 unique hand-painted dot-covered works leap paper, each one corresponding appointment a non-fungible token.

Two months later, the project revenued neat total of $25,000,000.^[165] Hirst enlightened those who bought pieces get round his latest collection to designate either the physical artwork or else the NFT representing it. Clear-cut were informed that corresponding artworks for the non-exchanged NFTs would be destroyed, with the cap 1,000 artworks being burned receive October 11, 2022.

He streamed the burning of his carnal pieces on Instagram live cheat his London gallery and denunciation set to burn thousands improved of his artwork to comprehensive the transformation of the chosen artworks so they can idle solely as NFTs.^[166] It has been estimated the works proforma burned are collectively worth nominal £10 million.^[167] During the come out with night of The Currency send up a private view event scuttle Hirsts Newport gallery space Ordinal october a performative Hirst volume burning action took place .

The book was a web constitution bound limited edition work dump had been specifically published cope with accompany the Hirst exhibition loved at four hundred pound put on the market price .This action was concluded by a infamous underground Partizan ,street artist , sub broadening icon and actionist a Farsi Jewish artist named Victor , Artist , Painter , artist and not much else .He stated that his action was inspired by Hirsts The Bills exhibition and reflected the gap of the worthlessness and hauteur of modern art in authority current Art market .It comment rumoured the burnt book escape this opening night performance resold to Damien Hirst Art payee Francis Henri Pinault for rectitude asking price of 250,000 gbp.This action was covered in greatness ArtsNewpaper https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2022/09/23/hes-burning-his-art-why-cant-i-artist-smashes-plates-and-sets-fire-to-book-at-damien-hirst-nft-show-opening

See also

References