Damien Hirst

Damien Hirst, born in 1965, is a very well know artist whos work seems to focus around death. Not so much depicting death but showing death. Some of his most notable work, such as “The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living” which depicts a dead shark preserved in formaldehyde, consists of animals cut up and presented in formaldehyde. He is currently a turner prize winner and holds the record for most expensive piece of artwork sold. This piece, entitled “For the love of God” sold for one hundred million dollars and was a human skull completely covered in diamonds. Besides being an accomplished artist Hirst is also know for his opinions on art and how money affects it. He has often said that the only reason some of his artwork sells for so much is because his name is on it. There has also been much controversy around his work because people do not see it as art but simply displaying something dead and grotesque. It will be interesting to see what Hirst produces next. Although it is likely that he will stay true to the theme of death it is impossible to predict what he’ll create or how much it will sell for.