Damien Hirst Contemporary Art

No one knows if Damien Hirst is Banksy. By working in out-of-the-way locations, wearing disguises and enlisting the help of a team of support personnel to assist him, the street artist Banksy has managed to successfully conceal his identity. Some people do suspect that Damien Hirst may be the person behind the Banksy persona due to collaborations between the two. The Daily Mail newspaper identified Robin Gunningham as Banksy during the 2010s, but no one has ever confirmed that the Bristol, UK, native is the street artist. Other people believe that the street artist 3D may be Banksy. Find a diverse assortment of Banksy art on 1stDibs.

Damien Hirst is successful because his works are imaginative and captivate a wide range of people, not just art aficionados. He is notorious for piquing critics and baffling the public with such pieces as his signature glass vitrines containing dead sheep or sharks in formaldehyde, and his diamond-encrusted skull, For the Love of God. On 1stDibs, shop a selection of Damien Hirst art from some of the world's top galleries.

Damien Hirst credits many sources of inspiration for influencing his work. Pathology textbooks, the British children's television show Blue Peter and his parochial school education inspired various projects. The sculptures and paintings of artist Margaret Mellis and the collages produced by her husband Francis Davison encouraged him to incorporate found objects into his art. Find a selection of Damien Hirst art on 1stDibs.

Damien Hirst lives in the United Kingdom. Specifically, he splits his time between residences in the cities of London, Gloucestershire and Devon. He was born in Bristol on June 7, 1965. Shop a large selection of Damien Hirst art on 1stDibs.

Damien Hirst is best known for his use of unconventional materials and "shock tactics" in his paintings, prints, sculptures and other works. He is notorious for piquing critics and baffling the public with such pieces as his signature glass vitrines containing dead sheep or sharks in formaldehyde and his diamond-encrusted skull, For the Love of God. Working primarily in sculpture, Hirst takes after French modernist master Marcel Duchamp in his use of ready-made objects and materials, which he combines to ironic effect. He often creates in series, as with "The Cure (Violet)" and "The Cure (Turquoise)," both from 2014, which are among several pill paintings referencing Andy Warhol's embrace of mass production. On 1stDibs, shop an assortment of Damien Hirst art.

Damien Hirst uses a variety of techniques to create his art. His early spot paintings were paint applied directly to the walls of warehouses using mathematical calculations as a guide. Pieces from his biopsy series consisted of inkjet and gloss and found materials applied to canvas. Damien Hirst repurposes everyday objects to produce many of his sculptures. On 1stDibs, shop a selection of Damien Hirst art.

Where you can see Damien Hirst's art varies. His works are in the collections of major museums, including the Broad in Los Angeles, the Tate Britain in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Galleries, such as Gagosian in London, and museums, such as the Museo Jumex in Mexico City, have also hosted exhibitions of his works. Explore a range of Damien Hirst art on 1stDibs.

For the Love of God by Damien Hirst is at the White Cube Gallery in London, United Kingdom. Hirst made the sculpture in 2007. It consists of a human skull covered in genuine diamonds. Shop a range of Damien Hirst art on 1stDibs.

Damien Hirst doesn't use any specific materials to produce his art. Instead, he employs different media that suit the subject of his work. Often, Hirst combines found objects to create collages or converts them into sculptures. He made his spot series by painstakingly applying paint to walls and other materials. Find a collection of Damien Hirst art on 1stDibs.

Damien Hirst’s art is so controversial largely because he intends for it to be. In the 1990s, Hirst said, “I can’t wait to get into a position to make really bad art and get away with it.” And indeed, he is notorious for piquing critics and baffling the public with such pieces as his signature glass vitrines containing dead sheep or sharks in formaldehyde, and his diamond-encrusted skull, For the Love of God. Working primarily in sculpture, Hirst takes after French modernist master Marcel Duchamp in his use of ready-made objects and materials, which he combines to ironic effect, and the results are met with mixed reactions. Shop a selection of Damien Hirst art from some of the world’s top galleries on 1stDibs.

Large oils are worth many millions of dollars. The value would depend on the size, composition and importance of the piece

How much an original Damien Hirst is worth depends on its medium, size, historical significance, condition and other factors. In 2007, his Lullaby Spring sold for $19.2 million at auction. The piece is a steel and glass cabinet filled with 6,136 pills that Hirst painted by hand. It is an example of Hirst's use of found objects and materials, which he combines to ironic effect. He often creates in series, as with The Cure (Violet) and The Cure (Turquoise), both from 2014, which are among several pill paintings referencing Andy Warhol’s embrace of mass production. Lullaby Spring was an earlier exploration of a similar theme and part of Hirst's Pill Cabinet series. If you own an original Hirst, a certified appraiser or knowledgeable art dealer can evaluate it and give you an estimated value for the piece. On 1stDibs, explore a selection of Damien Hirst art.

How much Damien Hirst’s shark is worth today is unknown. However, in 2005, it sold for somewhere between $8 and $12 million. Called The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, the piece was a shark preserved in formaldehyde. In 2006, the original shark was replaced with a new specimen because it had begun to deteriorate. Its owner, Steven A. Cohen, lent the piece to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, where it was displayed from 2007 to 2010. On 1stDibs, explore a variety of Damien Hirst art.

Whether or not Damien Hirst prints are a good investment will depend upon a range of factors such as condition, rarity and more. The British artist initially came to the attention of the art world for his curating skills, bursting onto the scene with the now legendary exhibition “Freeze,” which he organized in a derelict southeast London dock warehouse in 1988. But what earned him notoriety were his in-your-face artworks, such as a dead cow’s head and flies and a menagerie of sliced up animals, as well as his rock-and-roll lifestyle of boozing, drug taking and exhibitionism. In 2008, Hirst bypassed his established dealers and sold more than 200 works at auction for $170 million.

Determining the value of any collectible depends upon a variety of aspects. Because Hirst, a former member of the Young British Artists movement, is so well-known for his provocative sculptures and other works of Conceptual art, this can have a positive effect on the long-term value of his prints.

New collectors are often directed toward prints as a starting point. Accessibility, however, does not mean prints appreciate at a different pace from other mediums. The market for paintings increases parallel to the prints market. It's good to keep in mind that price is not the only practical reason to embrace the medium. Prints are often a more feasible way of acquiring works by an artist you love but who tends to create objects you could never house.

Hirst has frequently landed on animals and insects when searching for subjects for his prints and other works that could capture the fragility and fleetingness of existence. His lush, blood-red series of giclée prints titled “The Empresses” contains five different editions, each named for a historical female ruler, and each printed with a complex pattern of butterflies on aluminum accented with glitter.

At 1stDibs, we believe in buying what you love. Our shopping experience enables discovery and learning, whether you are a seasoned connoisseur or just beginning your collection. Buyers should keep in mind that the value of any investment is subject to fluctuation, and any investment decisions should be made according to the guidance of a financial advisor.

Find a range of authentic Damien Hirst prints and other art on 1stDibs.

Damien Hirst is well-known for his spot paintings, of which he created thirteen series. His first series alone, known as the “Pharmaceutical” series, totaled more than 1,000 paintings. In 2013, Hirst revealed that there are 1,365 spot paintings in existence today. Find a selection of Damien Hirst paintings from top sellers on 1stDibs.