A revealing collection of quotations from world-renowned artist Damien Hirst. Hirst-isms is a
collection of quotations-bold surprising often humorous and always insightful-from
celebrated artist Damien Hirst whose controversial work explores the connections between art
religion science life and death. Emerging in the 1990s as a leading member of the Young
British Artists (YBAs) Hirst first became famous and gained a reputation as a provocateur with
a series of artworks featuring dead and sometimes dissected animals (including a shark sheep
and cow) preserved in glass tanks filled with formaldehyde.Gathered from interviews and other
primary sources and organized by subject these quotations explore Hirst's early years family
life and the beginnings of his fascination with art the major themes of his work his
influences and heroes his motivation his process and the boundary-pushing production of his
work and his thoughts on the art world fame and money. The result is a comprehensive and
nuanced book that sheds new light on a fascinating and important contemporary artist.Select
quotations from the book:The less I feel like an artist the better I feel.I like it when
people love my art. I like it when people hate my art. I just don't want them to ignore my
art.Painting's like the most fabulous illusion because there's nothing at stake. Except
yourself.I'm interested in the confusion between art and life I like it when the world gets in
the way.Sometimes you have to step over the edge to know where it is.
