Hands up for Hirst
How the bad boy of Brit-Art grew rich at the expense of his investors
IN 2008 just over $270m-worth of art by Damien Hirst was sold at auction, a world record for a living artist. By 2009 Mr Hirst's annual auction sales had shrunk by 93%—to $19m—and the 2010 total is likely to be even lower. The collapse in the Hirst market can partly be ascribed to the recession. But more important are the lingering effects of a two-day auction of new work by Mr Hirst that Sotheby's launched in London on September 15th 2008.
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Hands up for Hirst”
Culture September 11th 2010
From the September 11th 2010 edition
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