APPOART

“I realised that you couldn’t use the tools of yesterday to communicate today’s world”

Damien Hirst is an English artist and art collector known for his provocative and often controversial works. Born on June 7, 1965, in Bristol, England, he is one of the prominent figures of the Young British Artists (YBAs) movement. Here are some key aspects of his life and work:

Hirst was born Damien Steven Brennan in Bristol and grew up in Leeds with his Irish mother. He never met his father and was arrested twice for shoplifting as a child. His mother encouraged his interest in drawing, which was his only successful educational subject. He attended Allerton Grange School and later studied Fine Art at Goldsmiths College, where he was influenced by the work of Francis Davison and Michael Craig-Martin.

Artistic style:

Hirst’s work often explores themes of death, mortality, and the human condition. He is influenced by artists such as Goya, Soutine, Picasso, Duchamp, and De Kooning. His early work was characterized by the use of dead animals, often preserved in formaldehyde, to explore themes of death and mortality. We can spot the main traits of his style in this works:

The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living: a 14-foot tiger shark immersed in formaldehyde.

For the Love of God: A diamond-encrusted skull.

These works have been both celebrated and criticized for their shock value and perceived lack of artistic merit.

Most important works:

Spot Paintings: A series of paintings featuring arrangements of color spots with titles referring to pharmaceutical chemicals.

Spin Paintings: Paintings created by centrifugal force, where Hirst places canvases on a spinner and pours paint as they spin.

Medicine Cabinet Sculptures: Arrangements of various drugs, surgical tools, and medical supplies that redefine sculpture and question the role of art in contemporary culture.

Glass Tank Installations: Sculptures featuring dead animals preserved in formaldehyde, which directly address the inevitability of mortality.

Exhibitions: 

Hirst has had numerous exhibitions and sales throughout his career. His works are highly sought after and have been sold for millions of dollars. In 2008, he sold a complete show, “Beautiful Inside My Head Forever,” at Sotheby’s for £111 million, breaking the record for a one-artist auction.

Unfortunately there are no specific scheduled exhibitions for Damien Hirst in 2024. However, his works are consistently featured in various exhibitions and sales around the world.