Damien Hirst
Damien Hirst
Damien Steven Hirstis an English artist, entrepreneur, and art collector. He is the most prominent member of the group known as the Young British Artists, who dominated the art scene in the UK during the 1990s. He is internationally renowned, and is reportedly the United Kingdom's richest living artist, with his wealth valued at £215m in the 2010 Sunday Times Rich List. During the 1990s his career was closely linked with the collector Charles Saatchi, but increasing frictions came to...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionPainter
Date of Birth7 June 1965
I have a Californian girlfriend and she's into a lot of Californian bands so I listen to that.
One thing leads to another with my work.
I've seen things that are 200 years old, in formaldehyde.
It's amazing what you can do with an E in A-level art, twisted imagination and a chainsaw.
'Painting like a child' isn't a negative for me... it's something only great artists can really achieve. The childlike quality of some of Picasso's drawings is precisely what makes them so masterful and extraordinary; the ability to express complete visions, feelings and portraits through a continuous line.
People don't like contemporary art, but all art starts life as contemporary - I can't really see a difference.
You'd never look at a Rembrandt and say, 'That's just wood and canvas and paint - how much?!' It's all about how many people want it. It works on a pair of jeans as well - they're just material and stitching, and as soon as you walk out of the shop, they're worth nothing.
Here's one from me: 'You have to be aware that everyone else is thinking far too hard about themselves to be thinking about you, whoever you are.' If you want it, you can have it. Once you know that, you can be free.
I think suicide is the most perfect thing you can do in life.
What I really like is minimum effort for maximum effect.
I have titles floating around in my head; I have sculptures floating around in my head. It's like a collage.
I'm 43. I'm not ready to sit down in a chair with my name on it yet.
Immortality is really desirable, I guess. In terms of images, anyway.
I did a butterfly show in Berlin, and we had a guy who's an expert on butterflies; who bred them all and who looks after them all in the space.