Breaking new ground and old traditions, modern British artist Damien Hirst raised 70.5 million pounds (That's 127 million dollars!) with his two day auction entitled Beautiful Inside My Head Forever - a record sale for a solo art auction.
Hirst eclipsed a 1993 sale of 88 pieces by Picasso, which sold for 20 million dollars. And, unlike most work, which is sold through galleries with up to a 50% commission, the bulk of Hirst's pieces were sold directly.
The auction results revealed a strong art buying market, despite the struggling economy, which pleased Hirst. "I love art and this proves I'm not alone and the future looks great for everyone!" he said of the auction.
The work of Damien Hirst deals mostly with death through preserved animals and brash displays of extravagance. The Golden Calf - a real calf adorned with 18-carat gold hoofs and horns, crowned with a gold disc, and preserved in a tank of formaldehyde - topped the auction and broke Hirst's personal best, selling for 10.3 million pounds. The Kingdom, a similarly preserved full tiger shark, sold for 9.5 million pounds.
Who buys that shiz?????
Hirst's most notorious piece, however, is also considered the most expensive piece in the contemporary art world. For The Love of God is a platinum skull blinged out with 8,601 diamonds, which sold for 50 million pounds.
You do the math!
When I was in high school I dissected a fetal pig. I kept mine preserved in alcohol and formaldehyde....if I had only known, I could have tried to make some money.
from Perez Hilton
No comments:
Post a Comment