Damien Hirst Quotes
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It's such a crass idea - you're either in love or out of love.
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Immortality is really desirable, I guess. In terms of images, anyway.
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But I think it's more that when you're young, you're invincible, you're immortal - or at least you think you are. The possibilities are limitless, you're inventing the future. Then you get older and suddenly you have a history. It's fixed. You can't change anything. I find that a bit disturbing, to be honest.
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I used to watch 'Top of the Pops' when I was a kid and say 'Yeah!' or 'Boo!' at every single song. So there was nothing in the middle. You brutally put it on one side or another.
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The goal in life is to be solid, whereas the way that life works is totally fluid, so you can never actually achieve that goal.
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I'm 43. I'm not ready to sit down in a chair with my name on it yet.
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I used to believe I was going to live forever. And then you suddenly become aware that you're not.
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I realised that you couldn't use the tools of yesterday to communicate today's world. Basically, that was the big light that went on in my head.
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Most people live in the city and go to the country at the weekend, and that's posh and aristocratic, but actually to live in the country and come to London when you can't take it any more is different.
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A painting probably is the most shocking increase in value, from what it costs to make to what you sell it for.
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The idea of going on tour for the rest of my life with old works is not that exciting. As an artist I definitely think the work in future is going to be better than the work in the past, otherwise why do it?
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I think suicide is the most perfect thing you can do in life.
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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.
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So smoking is the perfect way to commit suicide without actually dying. I smoke because it's bad, it's really simple.
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Sometimes when you're drunk you can see better.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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It's good to have a title that's not just one word. If you're gonna title it, you might as well try and say something.
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I had a passport where I wrote 'artist' under 'occupation' and I remember thinking, 'That's it, it's proved!'
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Great art - or good art - is when you look at it, experience it and it stays in your mind. I don't think conceptual art and traditional art are all that different.
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It's a great advantage to be able to play people off against each other, isn't it? You go to Christie's and get a quote on something. And then you go to Phillips' and you tell them what Christie's has given you. I like auctions for artists.
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Even as a kid in drawing class, I had real ambition. I wanted to be the best in the class, but there was always some other feller who was better; so I thought, 'It can't be about being the best, it has to be about the drawing itself, what you do with it.' That's kind of stuck with me.