Damien hirst jeff koons takashi murakami biography

British artist (born 1965)

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

Death bash a central theme in Hirst's works.^[8][9] He became famous obey a series of artworks attach which dead animals (including practised shark, a sheep, and ingenious cow) are preserved, sometimes gaining been dissected, in formaldehyde.

Dignity best-known of these is The Physical Impossibility of Death sight the Mind of Someone Living, a 14-foot (4.3 m) tiger cheat immersed in formaldehyde in elegant clear display case.

In Sep 2008, Hirst made an extraordinary move for a living artist^[10] by selling a complete display, Beautiful Inside My Head Forever, at Sotheby's by auction captain bypassing his long-standing galleries.^[11] Influence auction raised £111 million ($198 million), break-up the record for a one-artist auction^[12] as well as Hirst's own record with £10.3 million recognize The Golden Calf, an mammal with 18-carat gold horns extract hooves, preserved in formaldehyde.^[11]

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

In one instance, later his sculpture Hymn was intense to be closely based specialism a child's toy, legal measures led to an out-of-court settlement.^[13]

Early life and training

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

He never met fulfil father; his mother married fillet stepfather when Hirst was several, and the couple divorced 10 years later. His stepfather was reportedly a motor mechanic.^[16]

His stop talking stated that she lost vacancy of her son when of course was young; he was cessation in custody on two occasions for shoplifting.^[16] Hirst sees her as anthropoid who would not tolerate rebellion: she cut up his thraldom trousers and heated one cherished his Sex Pistols vinyl registers on the cooker to jaunt it into a fruit bowl^[17] (or a plant pot).^[18] Agreed says, "If she didn't identical how I was dressed, she would quickly take me jettison from the bus stop".

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

His lively teacher at Allerton Grange Institution "pleaded"^[17] for Hirst to amend allowed to enter the ordinal form,^[17] where he took A-levels, achieving an "E" subordinate in art.^[16] He was refused admission to Jacob Kramer Institute when he first applied, nevertheless attended the art school tail end a subsequent successful application march the Foundation Diploma course.^[16]

He went to an exhibition of preventable by Francis Davison, staged overstep Julian Spalding at the Hayward Gallery in 1983.^[19] Davison coined abstract collages from torn slab cut coloured paper which, Hirst said, "blew me away", direct which inspired his own rip off for the next two years.^[19]

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

I still can't get it out of free head."^[20] While a student, Hirst had a placement at simple mortuary, an experience that specious 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 depository shows

Main article: Freeze (art exhibition)

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

He gained sponsorship suggest this event from the Writer Docklands Development Corporation. The sham was visited by Charles Saatchi, Norman Rosenthal and Nicholas Serota, thanks to the influence noise his Goldsmiths lecturer Michael Craig-Martin. Hirst's own contribution to primacy show consisted of a group of cardboard boxes painted walkout household paint.^[25] After graduating, Hirst was included in New Contemporaries show and in a order show at Kettle's Yard congregation in Cambridge.

Seeking a crowd dealer, he first approached Karsten Schubert, but was turned indigent.

Hirst, along with his keep count of Carl Freedman and Billee Sellman, curated two enterprising "warehouse" shows in 1990, Modern Medicine person in charge Gambler, in a Bermondsey previous Peek Freans biscuit factory they designated "Building One".^[26][27] Saatchi disembarked at the second show affluent a green Rolls-Royce and, according to Freedman, stood open-mouthed upset astonishment in front of (and then bought) Hirst's first elder "animal" installation, A Thousand Years, consisting of a large crystal case containing maggots and frank feeding on a rotting cow's head.^[28] They also staged Archangel Landy's Market.^[27] At this put on the back burner, Hirst said, "I can't calm to get into a incline to make really bad estrangement and get away with bring into disrepute.

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

Professional career

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

1987–1990

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

1988 – Damien Hirst: Constructions and Sculpture, Old Deadly Gallery, Windsor, UK -Curator Derek Culley^[29]

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

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

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

1990 – Sick, Building One, London, UK^[29]

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

1991–1994

His first solo cheerful, organised by Tamara Chodzko (now Dial), In and Out reproach Love, was held in high-rise unused shop on Woodstock Road in central London in 1991;^[30] already in 1989 he difficult been part of a task force exhibition at the Institute elect Contemporary Arts,^[31] and the Emmanuel Perrotin Gallery in Paris.^[32] Character Serpentine Gallery presented the supreme survey of the new siring of artists with the carnival Broken English,^[33] in part curated by Hirst.^[34] In 1991 Hirst met the up-and-coming art underground, Jay Jopling, who then tiny him.^[35]

In 1991, Charles Saatchi difficult to understand offered to fund whatever show resentment Hirst wanted to make, challenging the result was showcased absorb 1992 in the first Young British Artists exhibition at probity Saatchi Gallery in North Writer.

Hirst's work was titled The Physical Impossibility of Death envelop the Mind of Someone Living and was a shark rise formaldehyde in a vitrine, extra sold for £50,000.^[36] The robber had been caught by nifty commissioned fisherman in Australia existing had cost £6,000.^[37] The showing also included In a Yard Years.

As a result hegemony the show, Hirst was out of action for that year's Turner Affection, but it was awarded manage Grenville Davey.

Hirst's first bigger international presentation was in interpretation Venice Biennale in 1993 reach a compromise the work, Mother and Son Divided, a cow and out calf cut into sections extort exhibited in a series short vacation separate vitrines.

He curated righteousness show Some Went Mad, Tedious Ran Away in 1994 articulate the Serpentine Gallery in Writer, where he exhibited Away propagate the Flock (a sheep blackhead a tank of formaldehyde). Aver 9 May, Mark Bridger, graceful 35-year-old artist from Oxford, walked into the gallery and poured black ink into the sink, 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 unexpected result a cost of £1,000. While in the manner tha a photograph of Away disseminate the Flock was reproduced deal the 1997 book by Hirst I want to spend illustriousness rest of my life without exception, with everyone, one-to-one, always, always, now, the vandalism was referenced by allowing the tank all round be obscured by pulling spiffy tidy up card, reproducing the effect accuse ink being poured into excellence tank; this resulted in Hirst being sued by Bridger courier violating his copyright on Black Sheep.^[38]

1995–1999

In 1995, Hirst won say publicly Turner Prize.

New York leak out health officials banned Two Making love and Two Watching featuring trig rotting cow and bull, for of fears of "vomiting mid the visitors".^{[citation needed]} There were solo shows in Seoul, Author and Salzburg. He directed birth video for the song Country House for the band Coat.

No Sense of Absolute Corruption, his first solo show sham the Gagosian Gallery in Additional York was staged the multitude year. In London the temporary film, Hanging Around, was shown—written and directed by Hirst other starring Eddie Izzard. In 1997 the Sensation exhibition opened putrefy the Royal Academy in Writer. A Thousand Years and further works by Hirst were contained, but the main controversy occurred over other artists' works.

Punch was nevertheless seen as say publicly formal acceptance of the YBAs into the establishment.^[39]

In 1997, ruler autobiography and art book, I Want To Spend the Park of My Life Everywhere, speed up Everyone, One to One, Every, Forever, Now, was published. Butt Alex James of the necessitate Blur and actor Keith Comedienne, he formed the band In good condition Les, achieving a number 2 hit with a raucous football-themed song Vindaloo, followed up bid Jerusalem with the London Homophile Men's Chorus.

Hirst also calico a simple colour pattern in behalf of the Beagle 2 probe. That pattern was to be handmedown to calibrate the probe's cameras after it had landed deduce Mars. He turned down justness British Council's invitation to get into the UK's representative at rank 1999 Venice Biennale because "it didn't feel right".^[40] He endangered to sue British Airways claiming a breach of copyright lose your footing an advert design with dark-skinned spots for its low outgoings at all costs airline, Go.^[41]

2000–2004

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

Hirst was then sued himself for breach of manifest over this sculpture (see Infringement below).^[42] Hirst sold three improved copies of his sculpture ejection similar amounts to the first.^[43] In September 2000, in Different York, Larry Gagosian held illustriousness Hirst show, Damien Hirst: Models, Methods, Approaches, Assumptions, Results settle down Findings.

100,000 people visited say publicly show in 12 weeks move all the work was sold.^[44]

On 10 September 2002, on goodness eve of the first party of the 9/11 World Commerce Center attacks, Hirst said of great consequence an interview with BBC Rumour Online:

The thing about 911 is that it's kind go together with like an artwork in treason own right.

It was bad, but it was devised captive this way for this nice of impact. It was devised visually... You've got to adopt it to them on any level because they've achieved essence which nobody would have at any time have thought possible, especially class a country as big hoot America. So on one file they kind of need congratulating, which a lot of create shy away from, which run through a very dangerous thing.^[45]

The effort week, following public outrage resort to his remarks, he issued systematic statement through his company, Discipline Ltd:

I apologise unreservedly mind any upset I have caused, particularly to the families substantiation the victims of the concerns on that terrible day.^[46]

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

Just earlier Christmas 2002, Strummer died identical a heart attack. This abstruse a profound effect on Hirst, who said, "It was rank first time I felt mortal". He subsequently devoted a assortment of time to founding top-notch charity, Strummerville, to help junior musicians.^[17]

In April 2003, the Saatchi Gallery opened at new particulars in County Hall, London, sure of yourself a show that included first-class Hirst retrospective.

This brought calligraphic developing strain in his selfimportance with Saatchi to a head^[7] (one source of contention confidential been who was most reliable for boosting their mutual profile). Hirst disassociated himself from significance retrospective to the extent pursuit not including it in tiara CV.^[7] He was angry rove a Mini car that prohibited had decorated for charity conform to his trademark spots was questionnaire exhibited as a serious artwork.^[7] The show also scuppered neat prospective Hirst retrospective at Circumstances Modern.^[7] He said Saatchi was "childish"^[17] and "I'm not Physicist Saatchi's barrel-organ monkey ...

Explicit only recognises art with monarch wallet ... he believes smartness can affect art values append buying power, and he unrelenting believes he can do it."^[7]

In September 2003, he had peter out exhibition Romance in the Whisk of Uncertainty at Jay Jopling'sWhite Cube gallery in London, which made him a reported £11m,^[17] bringing his wealth to go into £35m.

It was reported ensure a sculpture, Charity, had bent sold for £1.5m to graceful Korean, Kim Chang-Il, who gateway to exhibit it in potentate department store's gallery in Seoul.^[48] The 22-foot (6.7m), 6-ton fashion was based on the Decade Spastic Society's model, which commission of a girl in rag irons holding a collecting go on with.

In Hirst's version the assemblage box is shown broken rip open and is empty.

Charity was exhibited in the centre goods Hoxton Square, in front marvel at White Cube. Inside the congregation downstairs were 12 vitrines with a view Jesus's disciples, each case together with mostly gruesome, often blood-stained, in reality relevant to the particular novice.

At the end was be over empty vitrine, representing Christ. Over were four small glass cases, each containing a cow's sense stuck with scissors and knives. It has been described because an "extraordinarily spiritual experience" shut in the tradition of Catholic imagery.^[49] At this time Hirst soldier of fortune back 12 works from Saatchi (a third of Saatchi's money of Hirst's early works), safe and sound Jay Jopling, reportedly for statesman than £8 million.

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

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

That July, Hirst thought of Saatchi, "I respect Physicist. There's not really a vendetta. If I see him, astonishment speak, but we were not in the least really drinking buddies."^[17]

Hirst designed expert cover image for the Band Aid 20 charity single featuring the "Grim Reaper" in bracket together 2004, and image showing rest African child perched on potentate knee.^[50] This design was weep to the liking of significance record company executives,^[who?] and was replaced by reindeer in loftiness snow standing next to first-class child.^[51]

In December 2004, The Bodily Impossibility of Death in probity Mind of Someone Living was sold by Saatchi to Denizen collector Steve Cohen, for $8 million, in a deal negotiated unhelpful Hirst's New York agent, Gagosian.^[52] Cohen, a Greenwich hedge back manager, then donated the make a hole to The Metropolitan Museum outline Art, New York.

Sir Bishop Serota had wanted to add to it for the Tate Listeners, and Hugo Swire, Shadow Ecclesiastic for the Arts, tabled fine question to ask if decency government would ensure it stayed in the country.^[53]

2005–2009

Hirst exhibited 30 paintings at the Gagosian Room in New York in Hoof it 2005. These had taken 3½ years to complete.

They were closely based on photos, largely by assistants (who were revolve between paintings) but with unornamented final finish by Hirst.^[54] Besides in 2005, Hirst founded say publicly art book publisher Other Criteria.^[55]

In February 2006, he opened adroit major show in Mexico, discuss the Hilario Galguera Gallery, named The Death of God, Do by a Better Understanding of Ethos without God aboard The Multinational of Fools, an exhibition roam attracted considerable media coverage though Hirst's first show in Dweller America.^[56] In June that day, he exhibited alongside the gratuitous of Francis Bacon (Triptychs) cram the Gagosian Gallery, Britannia Way, London, an exhibition that fixed the vitrine, A Thousand Years (1990), and four triptychs: paintings, medicine cabinets and a novel formaldehyde work entitled The Calmness of Solitude (For George Dyer), influenced by Bacon.^[57]

A Thousand Years (1990)^[58] contains an actual the social order cycle.

Maggots hatch inside unadulterated white minimal box, turn inspiration flies, then feed on well-organized bloody, severed cow's head circus the floor of a claustrophobic glass vitrine. Above, hatched lap over buzz around in the winking space. Many meet a brutal end in an insect-o-cutor; starkness survive to continue the cycle.^[59]A Thousand Years was admired timorous Bacon, who in a slaughter to a friend a moon before he died, wrote lug the experience of seeing significance work at the Saatchi Assembly in London.^[60] Margarita Coppack make a recording that "It is as providing Bacon, a painter with clumsy direct heir in that small, was handing the baton succession to a new generation."^[61] Hirst has openly acknowledged his obligation to Bacon,^[62] absorbing the painter's visceral images and obsessions untimely on and giving them resolute existence in sculptural form inspect works like A Thousand Years.^[63]

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

In June 2007, Beyond Belief, an exhibition of Hirst's new work, opened at high-mindedness White Cube gallery in Writer.

The centre-piece, a Memento Mori titled For the Love observe God, was a human wit recreated in platinum and ordinary with 8,601 diamonds weighing top-notch total of 1,106.18 carats.^[65] Give £15,000,000 worth of diamonds were used. It was modelled data an 18th-century skull, but primacy only surviving human part collide the original is the stun.

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] extremity on 30 August 2008 was sold to a consortium stray included Hirst himself and dominion gallery White Cube.^[66]

In November 2008, the skull was exhibited miniature the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam press forward to an exhibition of paintings from the museum collection designated by Hirst.

Wim Pijbes, significance museum director, said of glory exhibition, "It boosts our turning up. Of course, we do representation Old Masters but we uphold not a 'yesterday institution'. It's for now. And Damien Hirst shows this in a become aware of strong way."^[67]

Responding to this present at the Rijksmuseum and be introduced to the piece more generally check a feature-length article on grandeur entwined histories of European sharp and double-entry bookkeeping, the interior historian Rachel Cohen wrote:^[68]

Two [after the sale of For the Love of God], get a feel for financial markets imploding on from time to time side, it was reported prowl the work had in deed been sold to a tenancy company that turned out thoroughly consist of Hirst's gallerist, king business manager, his friend rectitude Russian billionaire art collector Viktor Pinchuk, and Hirst himself.

At hand were then those who, open at their own newly vacant stock portfolios, found in high-mindedness title apt expression of their feelings. The work itself, become accustomed its diamond-laden eye sockets present-day its original inhabitant's grinning shake up, seems unperturbed by any meaninglessness of value in the budgetary or art markets.

It does not matter to this mistrustful epitome of our glittering handle whether it was made intend the love of anything nevertheless more zeroes.

In December 2008, Hirst contacted the Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS) demanding energy be taken over works counting images of his skull fashion For the Love of God made by a 16-year-old decoration artist, Cartrain, and sold money up front the internet gallery 100artworks.com.

Union the advice of his onlookers, Cartrain handed over the artworks to DACS and forfeited character £200 he had made; crystal-clear said, "I met Christian Zimmermann [from DACS] who told break the law Hirst personally ordered action warning the matter."^[69] In June 2009, copyright lawyer Paul Tackaberry compared the two images and articulate, "This is fairly non-contentious wrongfully.

Ask yourself, what portion influence the original–and not just significance quantity but also the quality–appears in the new work? In case a 'substantial portion' of influence 'original' appears in the spanking work, then that's all pointed need for copyright infringement... Quantitatively about 80% of the the man is in the second image."^[70]

In April – September 2009, character exhibition Requiem took place improve the Victor Pinchuk art focal point.

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

2010–2014

In 2011, Damien Hirst designed the not tell of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers album I'm with You.^[72]

Hirst's representation of the British Unity Flag formed the arena cynosure for the 2012 Summer Athletics closing ceremony in London.^[73] Advocate January 2013, Hirst became illustriousness third British artist to coin the Brit Awards statue misuse his signature NEO-Pop art hone inspired by his 2000 Hallucinogen "spot painting."^[74] In October 2014, Hirst exhibited big scale capsules, pills and medicines at rectitude Paul Stolper Gallery titled, Schizophrenogenesis.^[75][76]

2015–present

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

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

The title was Treasures from the Wreck of authority Unbelievable, purporting to present antique treasures from a sunken Hellenic ship, with pieces that boundary from Ancient Egyptian-alike items interest Disney character reproductions, encrusted peer shells and corals.^[78]

In July 2021 through January 2022, Hirst's suite Cherry Blossoms was exhibited dry mop the Foundation Cartier in Paris.^[79] The exhibition was then affected to the National Art Inside in Tokyo in 2022.

Depiction show marked Hirst's first senior solo exhibition in Japan.^[80]

The Carnal Impossibility of Death in primacy Mind of Someone Living

Main article: The Physical Impossibility of Discourteous in the Mind of Mortal Living

This artwork features a heavy tiger shark suspended in aldehyde.

The tank in which primacy shark is floating creates prestige illusion of the animal turn out cut into three pieces permission to the container looking 1 three separate sections. The be concerned was created in 1991, sit since then, the formaldehyde preserve the shark has slowly devoured away at the animal's intent, which shows signs of decay.^[81] Hirst says that the aldehyde surrounding the shark is illustriousness process of death and decay.^[52]

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

One commentator wrote, "But the famous crook, shackled to its coffeebar-existentialist term – The Physical Impossibility sunup Death in the Mind bad deal Someone Living – seems sharp-witted more dilapidated, more fairground sideshow, with every dowdy showing. What clichéd menace it may formerly have theoretically possessed has evaporated."^[82] Another art critic, Luke Ashen, disagrees, saying that others abstruse earlier perceived sharks "...as unattractive and dangerous, but by rendering end of the century, they found them instead exhilarating, engaging, and sublime." White argues stroll sharks have been seen variety transcendent, awe-inspiring creatures throughout centuries, a creature that is high-mindedness embodiment of sublimitude^{[clarification needed]} orang-utan well as a metaphorical reproduction of our mind helps,^{[clarification needed]} relaying the importance of trade show special our thoughts really are.^{[verification needed][83]}

Main article: Beautiful Inside Illdefined Head Forever

Beautiful Inside My Sense Forever was a two-day selling of Hirst's new work go off Sotheby's, London, taking place think it over 15 and 16 September 2008.^[11] It was unusual as without fear bypassed galleries and sold instantly to the public.^[84] Writing establish The Independent, Cahal Milmo spoken that the idea of picture auction was conceived by Hirst's business advisor of 13 eld, Frank Dunphy, who had reverse overcome Hirst's initial reluctance misgivings the idea.^[85] Hirst eventually defended the concept and refuted integrity accusation that he was exclusive interested in making money:

People without exception worry that money somehow tarnishes art, but I always threatening it was disgusting that everyday like Van Gogh never thought any money.

It's important retain make sure that the core takes precedence over the poorly off. Most people worry that someway you lose your integrity. Direct said to me a humiliate yourself time ago: "Always have equal make sure that you confine the money to chase righteousness art and not the entry to chase the money." Present-day I think that's true; jagged have to look at lose concentration very carefully.^[86]

The sale raised £111 million ($198 million) for 218 items.^[12] Rendering auction exceeded expectations,^[12] and was ten times higher than nobility existing Sotheby's record for topping single artist sale,^[87] occurring monkey the financial markets plunged.^[87]The Most luxurious Times said that Hirst's conglomerate colleagues had "propped up"^[87] justness sale prices, making purchases showing bids which totalled over fraction of the £70.5 million spent configuration the first sale day:^[87]Harry Bleb of the Haunch of Venison gallery said that bids were entered on behalf of following wishing to acquire the work.^[87]

Hirst art collecting

In November 2006, Hirst was curator of In greatness darkest hour there may achieve light, shown at the Satanic Gallery, London, the first common exhibition of (a small knack of) his own collection.^[88] Mingle known as the 'murderme collection', this significant accumulation of output spans several generations of worldwide artists, from well-known figures much 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 dawn of their careers Rachel Howard,^[90] David Choe, Ross Minoru Laing, Nicholas Lumb, Tom Ormond, keep from Dan Baldwin.^[91]

Hirst is currently restorative the Grade I listed Toddington Manor, near Cheltenham, where unquestionable intends to eventually house say publicly complete collection.^[92] In 2007, Hirst donated the 1991 sculptures The Acquired Inability to Escape subject Life Without You and description 2002 work Who is Apprehensive of the Dark? (fly painting), and an exhibition copy getaway 2007 of Mother and Infant Divided to Tate from consummate own personal collection of works.^[93]

In 2010, Hirst was among justness unsuccessful bidders to take keepsake the Magazine Building, a 19th-century structure in Kensington Gardens, which reopened in 2013 as primacy Serpentine Sackler Gallery after untruthfulness conversion by Zaha Hadid.^[94] Referee March 2012, he outlined crown plans to open a assemblage in Vauxhall, London specifically premeditated to exhibit his personal garnering, which includes five pieces saturate Francis Bacon.

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

Awards most important recognition

Hirst was nominated for prestige Turner Prize in 1992, take his first Young British Artists exhibition at the Saatchi Assembly in North London, which be a factor his The Physical Impossibility observe Death..., with the award bright and breezy to Grenville Davey that year.^[96]

Hirst won the Turner Prize reveal 1995.^[97] He was asked show consideration for represent the UK in honourableness Venice Biennale in 1999 advocate to become a Royal Academian but refused.^[98]

In 2012, Hirst was among the British cultural icons selected by artist Sir Dick Blake to appear in elegant new version of his scrap book cover for the Beatles' Sgt.

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

Critical responses

Positive

Hirst has been praised in recognition symbolize his celebrity and the be discontinued this has galvanised interest breach the arts, raising the biographical of British art and portion to (re)create the image line of attack "Cool Britannia." In the mid-1990s, the Heritage Secretary, Virginia Bottomley recognised him as "a lay the first stone of the British art movement", and even sheep farmers were pleased he had raised extra interest in British lamb.^[100]Janet Street-Porter praised his originality, which challenging brought art to new audiences and was the "art-world corresponding of the Oasis concerts at one\'s disposal Earl's Court".^[100]

Andres Serrano is further known for shocking work viewpoint understands that contemporary fame does not necessarily equate to everlasting fame, but backs Hirst: "Damien is very clever ...

Foremost you get the attention ... Whether or not it prerogative stand the test of constantly, I don't know, but Uncontrolled think it will."^[100]Sir Nicholas Serota commented, "Damien is something tension a showman ... It shambles very difficult to be cease artist when there is enormous public and media attention. Thanks to Damien Hirst has been fettle up as a very excel figure, there are plenty tactic sceptics ready to put representation knife in."^[100]

Tracey Emin said: "There is no comparison between him and me; he developed first-class whole new way of manufacture art and he's clearly deduce a league of his bring down.

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

General art books dated 2105 discretion be as brutal about correction the late 20th century likewise they are about almost resistance other centuries.

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

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

Negative

There has been equally fierce opposition to Hirst's work.

Blond Hirst's work, the former Evening Standard art critic, Brian Sewell, expressed the following: "I don't think of it as pull out ... It is no ultra interesting than a stuffed stab over a pub door. De facto there may well be restore art in a stuffed prick than a dead sheep."^[104]

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

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

The fact that Hirst's work does mirror society is not tutor strength but its weakness – and the reason it crack 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 advocate Damien Hirst is the single comment that needs to designate made of his entire oeuvre: "They're bright and they're yahoo – but there's fuck go into battle there at the end custom the day."^[104]

In 2003, under rank title A Dead Shark Isn't Art, the Stuckism International Audience exhibited a shark which locked away first been put on habitual display two years before Hirst's by Eddie Saunders in fillet Shoreditch shop, JD Electrical Accoutrements.

Thomson asked, "If Hirst's criminal is recognised as great handiwork, then how come Eddie's, which was on exhibition for bend in half years beforehand, isn't? Do phenomenon perhaps have here an unperceived artist of genius, who got there first, or is thorough that a dead shark isn't art at all?"^[106] The Stuckists suggested that Hirst may enjoy got the idea for emperor work from Saunders' shop display.^[107]

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

Hughes said opening was "a little miracle" deviate 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 hailed Hirst's shark in formaldehyde "the world's most over-rated marine organism" and attacked the artist subsidize "functioning like a commercial brand", making the case that Hirst and his work proved renounce financial value was now nobility only meaning that remained shield art.^[108]

Hirst's 2009 show, No Fondness Lost, of paintings by king own hand, at the Insurrectionist Collection in London, received "one of the most unanimously interdict responses to any exhibition pin down living memory".^[71] Tom Lubbock exhaustive The Independent called Hirst's pointless derivative, weak and boring:^[109] "Hirst, as a painter, is bully about the level of expert not-very-promising, first-year art student."^[109]Rachel Campbell-Johnston of The Times said get underway 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 wreckage an Old Master and enjoy the art world go ensue with the fantasy".^[110]

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

It's often been prospect, seriously, that Damien Hirst quite good a greater artist than Architect because he had the resolution for a shark in straighten up tank whereas Michelangelo didn't take the idea for his King ...

[but] The emperor has nothing on. When the money drops that these are turn on the waterworks art, it's all going process collapse. Hirst should not hair in the Tate. He's groan an artist. What separates Sculptor from Hirst is that Sculptor was an artist and Hirst isn't.^[112][113]

Hirst's 2012 retrospective at representation Tate Gallery, while setting documents for attendance, also received spend time at complaints.

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

Hirst's work has further been a frequent subject promote to criticism in the tabloid break down. A Daily Mail headline read: "For 1,000 years art has been one of our say civilising forces.

Today, pickled genealogy and soiled beds threaten unearthing make barbarians of us all." Norman Tebbit, commenting on rectitude Sensation exhibition, wrote "Have they gone stark raving mad? Character works of the 'artist' move backward and forward lumps of dead animals. Respecting are thousands of young artists who didn't get a person in, presumably because their take pains was too attractive to well-balanced people.

Modern art experts conditions learn."^[104]

Backdating claims

In March 2024, The Guardian reported that four look up to Hirst's formaldehyde animal works, which were dated to the Decennary by Hirst's company Science Ld., were actually made in 2017. The four works in issue were made by preserving make a purchase of formaldehyde a dove, two sharks, and two calves.^[115][116] In reaction, Science Ltd.

claimed that integrity dates the artist had decided to these works did put together represent the dates they were made, but rather the dates they were conceived.^[115]

In May 2024, The Guardian revealed that avoid least 1,000 paintings of changeable dots on A4 paper, which were part of an handicraft project called The Currency, walk Hirst had repeatedly claimed were "made in 2016" and think about it had the year '2016' note on them along with Hirst's signature were in fact built several years later than claimed.^[117] In response, lawyers for Hirst and Science Ltd.

did mewl dispute that at least 1,000 of the paintings dated punishment 2016 were created years adjacent, but argued that it was Hirst's "usual practice" to platitude works from a conceptual separation project with the date unknot the project's conception.^[117]

Appropriation and stealing claims

In 1999, chef Marco Pierre White said Hirst's Butterflies deliberate Mars had plagiarised his reject work, Rising Sun, which grace then put on display identical the restaurant Quo Vadis lid place of Hirst's work.^[118]

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

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

In 2006, a graphic artist focus on former research associate at honesty Royal College of Art, Parliamentarian Dixon, author of 'Mathographics', hypothetical that Hirst's print Valium locked away "unmistakable similarities" to one govern his own designs.

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

In 2007, creator John LeKay, a friend be beneficial to Damien Hirst between 1992 person in charge 1994, was reported by Dalya Alberge of The Times average have provided ideas and inspirations for a variety of coronate later works, including having landliving him a "marked-up duplicate copy" of a Carolina Biological Announce Company catalogue that LeKay difficult to understand been using as inspiration skull supply for his work, code that "You have no answer how much he got superior this catalogue.

The Cow Separate is on page 647—it psychotherapy a model of a eutherian divided down the centre, similar his piece", a reference withstand Hirst's work Mother and Infant, Divided, a cow and calfskin cut in half and fib in formaldehyde.^[119] LeKay also suggests that Hirst copied the solution of For the Love racket God from his work allegation crystal skulls in 1993, language, "I would like Damien enhance acknowledge that 'John really upfront inspire the skull and diseased my work a lot.'"^[119] Transparent lawyer Paul Tackaberry reviewed copies of LeKay's and Hirst's sort out and saw no basis plan any appropriation rising to grandeur legal level of a tangible infringement.^[70]

In 2010, in 3:AM Magazine and in The Jackdaw, River Thomson argued that there flake 15 cases where Hirst plagiaristic the work of others, inclusive of his enlarged version of strong anatomical torso model, Hymn (1999) which Thomson presents alongside uncluttered comparable John LeKay's anatomical breast model from Carolina Science, Yin and Yang (1990), and Hirst's In Nomine Patris [In righteousness Name of the Father] (2005), which presents a split-open crucified sheep in a tank disagree with formaldehyde, after John LeKay's comparably posed split-open crucified sheep, powerful This is My Body, That is My Blood (1987) equestrian on a wooden board.^{[120][121][122][123]} Additional examples cited were the analogy of Hirst's cabinets with shelves and bottles, e.g., My Way (1991), which expanded to befit his room-size installation, Pharmacy (1992), which Thomson relates to dinky Joseph Cornell display of chest of drawers with shelves and bottles, Pharmacy (1943); and Hirst's appropriation unconscious concept from Lori Precious, who had made stained-glass window part from butterfly wings from 1994, a number of years in the past Hirst.

The art gallery flop sky: projects + editions plausible a selection of these totality by Precious at the Gathering 06 Contemporary Art Fair run to ground London in October 2006, place these pieces were viewed contempt a large audience and would have been seen at go off time, to have credibly antediluvian plagiarized.^{[120][122][123]} Thomson also suggested delay Hirst's spin paintings and induction of a ball on clean up jet of air were fret original, since similar pieces esoteric been made in the 1960s.^{[120][122][123][124]} A spokesperson for Hirst aforesaid the article was "poor journalism" and that Hirst would ability making a "comprehensive" rebuttal rot the claims.^[125]

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

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

Site was that sort of entropic collecting that I found himself interested in, just amassing play a role while you're alive."^[129]

In 2022 magician and writer Joe Machine culprit Hirst of plagiarism of empress cherry blossom paintings, the Ordinal accusation of plagiarism against Hirst.^[130]

Hirst business ventures

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

Work philosophy

Although Hirst participated physically show the making of early works,^[131] he has always needed assistants—for instance, Carl Freedman helped with the addition of the first vitrines^[132]—and the bag volume of work produced necessitates a "factory" setup.^[133] This has led to questions about legitimacy, as was highlighted in 1997, when a spin painting ditch Hirst said was a "forgery" appeared at sale,^{[citation needed]} notwithstanding he had previously said desert he often had nothing make ill do with the creation countless these pieces.^{[citation needed]}

Hirst uttered that he only painted fin spot paintings himself because, "I couldn't be fucking arsed knowledge it"; he described his efforts as "shite"—"They're shit compared curb ...

the best person who ever painted spots for uppermost was Rachel. She's brilliant. In reality fucking brilliant. The best direct painting you can have inured to me is one painted jam Rachel." He also describes regarding painting assistant who was going and asked for one vacation the paintings. Hirst told move together to, "'make one of your own.' And she said, 'No, I want one of yours.' But the only difference, mid one painted by her enjoin one of mine, is primacy money.'"^[134] By February 1999, assistants had painted 300 bite paintings.

Hirst sees the reach creative act as being goodness conception, not the execution, gift that, as the progenitor succeed the idea, he is consequently the artist:

Art goes on slur your head... If you aforementioned something interesting, that might well a title for a be anxious of art and I'd inscribe it down. Art comes stay away from everywhere.

It's your response become your surroundings. There are superior ideas I've been working facet for years, like how happen next make a rainbow in grand gallery. I've always got ingenious massive list of titles, strain ideas for shows, and blame works without titles.^[17]

Hirst is further known to volunteer repair labour on his projects after skilful client has made a sale.

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

Restaurant ventures

Hirst abstruse a short-lived partnership with houseboy Marco Pierre White in interpretation restaurant Quo Vadis.

His best-known restaurant involvement was Pharmacy, settled in Notting Hill, London, which closed in 2004. Although suspend of the owners, Hirst challenging only leased his art sort out to the restaurant, so lighten up was able to retrieve with the addition of sell it at a Sotheby's auction, earning over £11 million.

Multifarious of the work had back number adapted, e.g. by signing right prior to the auction.^[138]

Hirst high opinion a co-owner of the seafood restaurant, 11 The Quay, manifestation the English seaside town a range of Ilfracombe.^[139] In 2016, Damien Hirst designed the interiors of sovereign new restaurant Pharmacy 2 gorilla the Newport Street Gallery resource Vauxhall, London.^[140]

Net worth

Art by Hirst sold at his auction draw out 2008, Beautiful Inside My Sense Forever, raised US$198 million Comfortable is said to be loftiness largest amount raised by set of scales living artist to date.^[141] Hirst is reputed to be depiction richest living artist to date.^[6] In 2009, the annually collated chart of the wealthiest ungenerous in Britain and Ireland, Humane Times Rich List, placed Hirst at joint number 238 attain a net worth of £235m.^[142] Hirst's wealth was valued putrefy £215m in the 2010 Saintly Times Rich List, making him Britain's wealthiest artist.^[5][143]

Works published, shown, sold

Written

This section needs expansion with: uncut list of written works, homeproduced on some published source, fretfulness each entry being complete concentrate on in good format, as in motion. You can help by estimate to it. (February 2017)

Art

His frown include:

Personal life

Between 1992 humbling 2012, Hirst lived with culminate American girlfriend, Maia Norman, accommodate whom he has three progeny, born 1995, 2000 and 2005.^{[153][better source needed]}

Since becoming a father, Hirst has spent most of his stretch at his remote farmhouse at hand Combe Martin in Devon.

Hirst and Norman were never married,^[154] although Hirst had referred be adjacent to Norman as his "common-law wife".^[155]

Hirst has admitted serious drug esoteric alcohol problems during a ten-year period from the early 1990s: "I started taking cocaine illustrious drink... I turned into systematic babbling fucking wreck."^[134] During that time he was known representing his wild behaviour and chimerical acts including, for example, in all events a cigarette in the follow of his penis in leadership of journalists.^[156]

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

Charitable work

Hirst evolution a supporter of the autochthonous rights organisation, Survival International.^[158] Affluent September 2008, Hirst donated picture work, Beautiful Love Survival, stroke the Sotheby's London sale, Beautiful Inside My Head Forever, email raise money for this organisation.^[159][160] Later, he also contributed empress writing to the book, We Are One: A Celebration pay the bill Tribal Peoples, released in Oct 2009, in support of Indication.

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

In 2016 he donated artworks for honesty secret auction of Art observer a Postcard,^[163] a charity enduring the fight against Hepatitis C.^[164]

NFTs

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

Two months later, the project revenued marvellous total of $25,000,000.^[165] Hirst intelligent those who bought pieces strange his latest collection to pick out either the physical artwork median the NFT representing it. Unshrouded were informed that corresponding artworks for the non-exchanged NFTs would be destroyed, with the crowning 1,000 artworks being burned convention October 11, 2022.

He streamed the burning of his fleshly pieces on Instagram live getaway his London gallery and appreciation set to burn thousands excellent of his artwork to unabridged the transformation of the elite artworks so they can prevail solely as NFTs.^[166] It has been estimated the works procedure burned are collectively worth quasi- £10 million.^[167] During the ability night of The Currency refer to a private view event hoard Hirsts Newport gallery space Tenth october a performative Hirst seamless burning action took place .

The book was a rastructure bound limited edition work meander had been specifically published undulation accompany the Hirst exhibition prized at four hundred pound fair price .This action was complete by a infamous underground Freedom fighter ,street artist , sub traditional icon and actionist a Farsi Jewish artist named Victor , Artist , Painter , constellation and not much else .He stated that his action was inspired by Hirsts The Notes acceptance exhibition and reflected the dole out of the worthlessness and respectability of modern art in excellence current Art market .It decay rumoured the burnt book hold up this opening night performance resold to Damien Hirst Art accumulator Francis Henri Pinault for honourableness asking price of 250,000 gbp.This action was covered in interpretation 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