Damien Hirst

The Profile

Damien Hirst (born 1965) is a British artist and a leading figure of the Young British Artists. He is known for installations featuring animals preserved in formaldehyde, as well as spot and spin paintings. He won the Turner Prize in 1995.

The reviewed work is a tiger shark preserved in a formaldehyde solution inside a glass-and-steel tank; the original shark decayed and was replaced in 2006. Early patron: Charles Saatchi. Hirst is a central figure among the Young British Artists and a 1995 Turner Prize winner.

A single, sharp review dissects Hirst’s shark-in-formaldehyde piece, questioning ethics, ambiguity, and the marketing machine around contemporary art. It notes the 2006 replacement of the original specimen and Saatchi’s role. Science vs. art tensions frame the critique, landing on a skeptical, wry take.