Quotes by Damien Hirst

About Damien Hirst:

Damien Steven Hirst is an English artist, entrepreneur, and art collector. He is the most prominent member of the group known as the Young British Artists (or YBAs), 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 a head in 2003 and the relationship ended.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

When it comes to the British monarchy, I prefer to be seduced by an image than presented with a real person. It's kind of a Warhol thing.

Damien Hirst

The idea of being a painter, I've always thought, is better than being an artist or a sculptor.

Damien Hirst

I used to believe I was going to live forever. And then you suddenly become aware that you're not.

Damien Hirst

I gave up painting by 16. I secretly thought I would have been Rembrandt by then.

Damien Hirst

The spot paintings and spin paintings were trying to find mechanical ways to make paintings.

Damien Hirst

Artists are like everybody else.

Damien Hirst

I made one untitled piece.

Damien Hirst

But whenever I look at the question of how to live, the answer's always staring me in the face. I'm already doing it.

Damien Hirst

As a father, I would say I am more like a mother. I do a lot of hugging.

Damien Hirst

I've had laser eye surgery and I don't wear glasses any more, so people just go, 'You're not Damien Hirst.' I don't get recognized on the street.

Damien Hirst

Immortality is really desirable, I guess. In terms of images, anyway.

Damien Hirst

There's no possible way you can get what you want.

Damien Hirst

My Mum brought me up to believe that if you look after the pennies then the pounds look after themselves, and I could never do it.

Damien Hirst

Picasso, Michelangelo, possibly, might be verging on genius, but I don't think a painter like Rembrandt is a genius.

Damien Hirst

But it's like the horror of being in a studio with a blank canvas. I used to always run out of ideas because there are so many possibilities and I would just think, well what am I going to do now!

Damien Hirst

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, ...

Damien Hirst

There was a point I could have just churned out the spot and spin paintings for ever and laughed all the way to the bank.

Damien Hirst

But I'm more interested in why people are frightened by Jaws and why Jaws was such a hit than saying Spielberg's my main influence.

Damien Hirst

A painting probably is the most shocking increase in value, from what it costs to make to what you sell it for.

Damien Hirst

Whenever I've been well-known or hitting the press, I've always had to get my credit card out to prove I'm Damien Hirst.

Damien Hirst

I always feel a bit trapped when a painting goes for millions of pounds and only one person can have it. If you can have that as well as a poster on every student's wall, then you're in a very enviable position. I'd like to do a Damien Hirst for £...

Damien Hirst

Author Bio

  • NameDamien Hirst
  • Descriptionartist
  • BornJune 7, 1965
  • CountryUnited Kingdom
  • ProfessionRestaurateur; Painter
  • WorksMickey; The Physical Impossibility Of Death In The Mind Of Someone Living; For The Love Of God
  • AwardsTurner Prize