I love how she suggests that he meant something deep and profound in his work and he's just like "aah I thought it'd be funny!"

I love watching this and seeing him try to come up with reasons for his art, then fail miserably.

I have the name for Damien's next piece - "laughing all the way to the bank"

Who else is here from moist critical?

“Whoever wishes to devote himself to art should begin by cutting out his own tongue.” ― Henri Matisse

Damien sounds rather bemused that he’s regarded as a serious artist. Then again, is he?

Curator seems to be leading the answers quite a bit. The fly monochrome was cool though.

I feel Mr Hirst captures the beauty and utter randomness of our existence perfectly.

If his mission is to confuse people he's succeeding..

I don't think that Damien is a complete conman. He has some fabulous pieces. In my opinion, I don't necessarily think of his work as "art" but more as stories. He wants people to question why something is there, in a gallery. It makes you question what art is and makes you really think. That is the point. The reason why things like Mother and Child, Divided isn't in a scientific museum is because when you look at the inside of a cow, you think about how it works and the scientific aspects of it. When it is an art museum, you think of the beauty and the aesthetics. When something is dead, you think about is morally. Was the death justifiable? What was the cause and the price? What does it mean? Suddenly, you aren't just thinking about the stomach and what it does. It isn't just cool. It causes an internal war, is this art? Is Damien a conman? Does he just care about the money? Is this just bullshit or does it have a meaning behind it? Every piece is a story or a lesson and I think that that is what justifies Damien as an artist. Even the pieces that he did where he didn't really know what he was doing and he just did it, even after a piece is finished, you can look at something and come up with a story for it. Like the spot paintings. They look a bit psychedelic with all the colors. It makes me wonder if there was a method to the madness. He is creating something and that is the first step to art. Even bad art is still art.

I get why you all think it's bollocks. But damiens pieces are unpredictable, scary, original and have a lot of work put into them. I have a lot of respect for him because of that.

The great Damien Hirst speaks, and all I hear is mumbo jumbo on how "there are no answers."

The curator should question a little more, she just accepts some of the things he says too readily

If anyone else not famous made the same thing nobody would even care. Its not what you do its who you are that is only important for 99.9999% of people.

I cant in all good conscience call this art...it can make you think: "Oh! well, that was interesting", but its not visceral or something ambivalent, its just quirkiness, but it has no conviction, its just: "Well, think what you want to think".

Its funny how art did became a caricature of itself, and how dumbed down it actually sounds when they are talking about it. I made dis, go figure. Artists like him must laugh themselves to sleep every night:

Although I don't necessarily 'like' some of his art, I think the exhibition was one of the most interesting I've been to. I think that he is very honest about the artworks in this video.

I want my 12:51 back. I want the brain cells I used watching this to be returned to me. Please and thank you.

Yes, I'd be embarrassed too, mortified, if this was my contribution to art.

I think hirst is a great conman for sucking in all these fools and taking their money !!! I think he knows the art world very well and played their game better than them !!!

I'm here as Brian Sewell's unofficial envoy. "To own a Hirst is to tell the world that your bathroom taps are gilded and your Rolls-Royce is pink"

I feel nothing from this. Even less impressive after hearing him talk about it.

In my opinion "A Thousand Years" is the best work that Hirst has ever, or will ever do in his entire life... A work that is about the life cycle of flies seems fitting for contemporary art art at the moment.

he's an artist? No, this is not art. He is killing for "art".

I really enjoyed this. Great work Tate. He came across surprisingly well.

Whether you like Damien Hirst or not-his boldly creative imprimatura on contemporary art has been monumental since the late 1980s. His work is often viewed as being overtly morbid and obsessively fixated with ideas that solely revolve around death and decay. In actuality, nothing could be further from the truth. Instead, his work examines many of the starker perils and pitfalls of our existence as human beings-chief amongst those are our ongoing compulsive addictions-albeit to prescription drugs and/or the decadent excesses of our insatiable desire to want more of everything. Thus, simply put, Damien Hirst reminds us-via his use of adroitly conceptual dialogue-that life and death are, in fact, an inextricably convergent tapestry of sorts. Therefore, through his signature use of controversial objects, e.g., the severed cadavers of dead animals and preserved insects, he forcibly compels us to accept these universal truths that lie at the foundational core of this symbiotic relationship.

I can never make my mind up about this fella. I once saw an interview where he commented that he is careful not to 'flood the market' with work- that he consciously makes work at a rate that is profitable, which stinks of businessman rather than artist. That said he has made some interesting work, mainly that in which he takes the Bacon influence and runs with it. He's pretty good at death.

it's the first time I see this guy talking and I don't care what he or anyone says, I feel him.

He‘s saying „kids will love it in here“ as if any sane parent would be bringing their kids to a Damien Hirst exhibition 😂

the Spinal Tap of art

Black sun is an amazing piece - haunting but beautiful

I like hearing him explain his art even after I've taken it to mean something else.I am interested in knowing if the title of his pieces are truthfully assigned, or if he's playing with the titles as well?For example,the dove at the end represents the Holy Spirit in Christianity and he titled it "the incomplete truth".The truth is not really incomplete, more like ongoing. It makes sense however.Truth is sought after and becomes incomplete when you stop searching for it or say it is "incomplete".

i find it quite clever how Damien Hirst has been able to capitalize on the hype build around him. He doesn't give an answer to what he's asked, and only gives the main points of the work. The one that has talent here,is the team behind Damien Hirst.

"I love art that confused you or you know.. you didn't know where the art was" - Damien Hirst

He would admit it was all a con if he could figure out how to monetise doing it

i think this may be my summer treat

people say he is a conartist, but i dont think so. His art is very expresive and yet evokes a certain abstract feeling that one cant quite describe. For something to be art it doesnt need to be a result of countless hours perfecting a certain craft. The most important thing in art is the feeling it evokes.

The thing is that artist don't even create their piece. They have assistant and art student do it for them

Damn I went to this exhibit. Had the time of my fucking life. Took a day off school for it and everything 🙂 Black Sun is a fucking insane artwork

I think its so interesting how he says he's an atheist but lends so much spirituality and religous context to his work.

Love it, but how does he get all those animals and insects?

Room 11 looks like it would have taken way more effort to put together than most of the other rooms combined. And also killing scores of butterflies.

"The viewer decides on the answers" good choice of artist intent.

It appears our focus on the possibilities of what humans can make, the debate of our self-indulgent, self-oriented importance, has made art a mere curio.

"you need to pull people in and keep it them out at the same time"- wonderful

I like the glass windows

He does it all for money and I respect that. If I knew how to get as rich and famous as him, I would too.

Can everyone please refrain from using abusive language in their comments? Do, however, keep the debate going.

Comparing Hirst to the likes of Titian & Raphael is like comparing Punk Rock to the likes of Bach & Beethoven.

to paint those dots takes extreme talent..color is the hardest thing to paint...big ups mister hirst

This man should have been a plumber and left art to people with talent.

Really moving.

Can’t hold a candle to someone like Richard Prince.

I think I would enjoy the shark piece if I knew he made it

the artist that wants to "tell us" the meaning & the artist that allows "us"to get a find meaning

Damien my arse exploded all over my bog...maybe you want to come round and buy it for your collection?

Damien is a prime example of Genocide of Beauty.

even if you dont like the spot paintings just think how much time is in creating the continuity between the spots hundreds and thousands of them to me it represents the endless chasing of the dragon his "art" is more a platform for stories and thought pieces more so than a literal interpretation sort of like francis bacon I'm not inspired by his "art" but more so in his way of not having something you can engross in and walk out of for example you can go see an edvard munchs work anyday and walk out and that painting is stuck in the frame and you only looked in for a brief few minutes but with his pieces it gives you the visual shock and awe but taps into something deeper and gives you something you can leave with it marks you and it defiles you and makes you think he is a visual story teller and the psychological punk middle finger to the art world he creates on top of pre existing ideas instead of painting a canvas white and saying theres something there he reverses it and this is why I like his pieces ! :D everyone have a nice day feel free too comment :D

My name Is damion and I'm a artist this is the first damien I've found as a "artist" and I came in thinking I'd like him but at the end I came to the conclusion that I can't call a lot of this art the decomposing cow head and the split cows and the selfie with the human head and the giant black dot of decomposing flys the only thing I took from this good is "I dont think there are any answers only questions and we come up with answers" that's pretty damn philosophical

I don’t feel anything from this. But when you look at works of a master painter like turner or constable it gives you a sense of wonderment and magic !. each to there own I suppose

Cannot believe this dude is worth 300 million dollars. This just proves there is a sucker born every minute

He makes perfect sense to me 🤷

I have visited this exhibition and i truly enjoyed it. Specially the live butterflies room.

wait...so this is the famous Damien Hirst? NEXT!!

"Why do we feel comforted by medicine, yet surgery makes us so terrified" lol that's a toddler conversation dressed as a high-end art musing. Paracetamol vs. a heart bypass hmm so difficult to conceptualise that difference.

what a nice friendly chap . .

It's aggravating that this man is somehow worth 400 million dollars for easy artwork that has a price tag out of this world. But I *almost* respect the fact that he's able to scam museums and collectors millions of dollars of their money. *Almost.*

Gallagher is creeping and fawning well to the talent-challenged Hirst.. in fact that's half of how she became curator.. the other half of course being old school tie connections.

Fantastic

Given the current state of this civilization his success is understandable.

Brilliant guy

no animals were harmed during prepearation of this exhibition :D

Damien: "Art can give us hope but religion can't." Me: Art can give us Kant but religion hope.

At least he’s straight up about his work, and not throwing bullshit high and mighty answers.

I don't think he has any really deep thought behind anything. I think he is a smart self promoter and businessman, but there's really no deep meaning here.

I have been contemplating creative ownership.

BRILLIANT! Thank you, Mr. Hirst. Unusually interesting.

This guy's loaded in every sense of the word. What irritates me is all the gobbledygook illogical twaddle that artist come out with. They've got some ideas, about "art" and suddenly they're philosophers. The stuff you see here on this video, most of it is not the likes of Michelangelo, or Leonardo Da Vinci or Norman Rockwell would call art. And I'm with them. They all had the skill of a craftsman, and they could produce a good composition, that captured the moment, that special split second which captures our interest. Have a look at "Going and coming" by Norman Rockwell, or his kids playing golf, or the runaway, sat next to the policeman. You can tell INSTANTLY what is happening. That's what I call art. And because they've captured that particular moment it causes you the viewer to react. There's no hidden message, there's no I wonder what he's trying to say. It's there in front of you and you can understand it. Now, my next problem with this person, is he does not produce all the work himself. Naaah. Do you really think he caught all those flies and put them on a circular board and inch or two thick. ? The same with the dead cow and calf. Do you think he killed the calf and the cow and put them into the glass case ? Do you ? Did he catch the big shark with a fishing line. Did he land the shark and prepare it, so it could go into the glass case ? The spot paintings, the pharmacy cabinets full of surgical implements. He bought the stuff. He paid people to do the boring and tricky and skillful stuff. How much did he pay the men who actually did the dirty work for him ? Peanuts. Are they on commission if he ever sells any of his masterpieces ? Naaah Quite frankly as an artist myself I'd be embarrassed to admit that I had a hand in any of his stuff. I'd be frightened of the public thinking of me as a nutcase and a total fraud. This guy's from Leeds in the North of England and I suspect from a working class background. I would think that most of the generation in Leeds that he grew up with would NOT be impressed and their opinion would be unrepeatable in polite circles to put it mildly I somehow doubt, I may be wrong, but I suspect he's NEVER had a brush in his hand for a very long time. Would you trust him to paint your garden fence ? Would he be sticking dead flies on it after he'd painted it. You'd probably find a dead dog, or maybe a cat stuck on the fence. Just to give it that extra "something" Maybe cut the dead dog's head off and do a lap of honour with it. The words "stick" and "rectum" spring to mind. Can't think why, can you ? Kind regards to you all - Chris - Artist, Writer & Hypnotist WWW.100Temptations.com By the way, my works a lot cheaper.

THIS IS NOT AN ART! NATURE IS AN ART by itself! And stealing animals from the nature, killing them and calling your art... it is really disgusting and cruel.

Well I'm sure it holds value well for investors atleast.

As long as he is happy! Question?

Simple....Art Has No Rules In any shape way or form or Price / Meet me yet?

the shark piece is kind of cool and could have a meaning

His art rose to prominence on the backs of bankers.

Why doesn’t he just paint or sculpt the animals so they don’t have to die just to be displayed?!!?

I love how he is so casual about whatever the fuck he has created that the world calls as 'ART'.

it's empty, it has no meaning, but it is given by us as we like to tell to our selfs that there is something more in us than there actualy is. as we like to think that we are abowe those things.

It's a bit sad that some people don't undersatnd artists. Art is art ,and nobody should judge other people,you like it or you don't I like his art .I think it,s cool &brave. Not everybody are so brave. If I would be so brave I would do even more choking art.

Art is really anything, I have a sense that most people in the comment section think a complex painting with lots of color and shading is the only “real” art. If people choose to like what he makes then that’s on them, not the creator.

Is that 'Dead Head' someone's relative?

Seen it today, was fantastic! I went round 5 times.

The woman :"yeah yea yeah yea" Hirst:"yeah yea yea"

He just seems like an art school kid trying to be the next Jeff Koons. Clever but not yet all that interesting. What he says about his work is glib and trite. (One thing about many big collectors is they come from a wealthy background so they have almost no hands on practical experience. They've never stood next to a cow, or been in the ocean with a great white (or two at the same time). I remember having a conversation with an artist about his sculpture. It was really clear that the next step was to replace the hardware store sheaves (pulley wheels) with ones he made and that was his plan. A collector walked in; the aspect of the work he was most interested in? The hardware store sheaves. Maybe they just don't have any defenses to Hirst's games. The difference between Hirst and Koons is that Koons goes after the kitsch, does something that sounds stupid and trite; then you walk in the gallery - and it hits you over the head. Revenge of your aunt's Hummel collection. If you have a closed mind you'd never really 'get it.' I remember going to the Broad Foundation to photograph the first Balloon Dog - it was still all silver. I thought, yeah I know what a balloon dog is, they just made it bigger. Seeing if for the first time was like getting hit over the head. If it was 1/10th of 1% less perfect it might not work. I spent a couple of hours with it (2.5 minute exposures). Have I seen Hirst's work? Yes, but I don't remember exactly where (definitely the Tate Modern, anywhere else? Maybe) or which piece. Jeff Koons? I even remember the case with the vacuum cleaners. I don't think any Surrealist or Dadaist was ever as subversive as Koons.

yes

I watched this hoping Damien would say something worthwhile and articulate. Instead, he finished with the shallow, blanket statement of, "Art can give us hope but religion can't".

I agree to an extent... but at the same time - killing things, for our frivilous use - food, clothing is completely part of humanity's global culture. Further from it being unnecessary it will increasingly become untenable for the growing global middleclass to consume animals like the west. We need a dialogue on this. It is an important issue. I say artists should have license to commentate on this issue, particularly on the ethics of it.

ngl it's p obvious that Hirst is bullshitting most of this, especially with those spot paintings. But you have to admit that pieces like anarchy, black sun, and mother and child are such great ideas. He gets so much shit for being a conman [which he is] but he still makes great art like anyone else. The reason why he is so famous is that everyone overrates him. That's hardly his fault.

Banality has become the most important aspect of contemporary art.

Genius

I guess CVS pharmacies are art galleries now.