Several Lucrative Art Series To End, Says Damien Hirst

August 15th, 2008

Superstition, Damien Hirst, 2007 Gagosian Gallery in Beverly Hills via ABC News

In a video interview from July recently posted on Sotheby’s website, Damien Hirst casually revealed that several of his highest earning series would be coming to an end in 2008. These include his spin and butterfly paintings and conceptual medicine cabinets. Hirst also speculated that production of his dot paintings would significantly slow, and that his formaldehyde works of animals are growing numbered as well.

Damien Hirst: An Interview with Tim Marlow [Sotheby’s]
Damien Hirst Says He’ll End High-earning Series [Artinfo]
Hirst Will Stop Making Spin, Butterfly Paintings, Drug Cabinets [Bloomberg]

The news is important for collectors, dealers, and others involved in the art market – some series have hundreds of pieces, endangering the value of Hirst’s most expensively auctioned works. The video on Sotheby’s is part of a promotional campaign for his “Beautiful Inside My Head Forever” sale to be held in September, covered by AO here. Damien Hirst declined to comment further on his statements.


Butterfly Paintings, Damien Hirst, via LukeWhite


Valium, Damien Hirst, 2000 via Phillipsartexpert


Nothing is Sacred, Damien Hirst, 1997 via aliceseesmice