You can always tell a great painting, because when you get close there are all these nervous marks. Damien Hirst More Quotes by Damien Hirst More Quotes From Damien Hirst It's very easy to say, 'I could have done that,' after someone's done it. But I did it. You didn't. It didn't exist until I did it. Damien Hirst doneeasy I can't understand why most people believe in medicine and don't believe in art, without questioning either. Damien Hirst medicinebelieveart I was taught to confront things you can't avoid. Death is one of those things. To live in a society where you're trying not to look at it is stupid because looking at death throws us back into life with more vigour and energy. The fact that flowers don't last for ever makes them beautiful. Damien Hirst flowerstupidbeautiful I have always been aware that you have to get people listening before you can change their minds. Any artist's big fear is being ignored, so if you get debate, that's great. Damien Hirst changeinspirationalart Art comes from everywhere. It's your response to your surroundings. Damien Hirst surroundingsresponseart It's amazing what you can do with an E in A-Level art, a twisted imagination and a chainsaw. Damien Hirst levelsimaginationart The idea is more important than the object. Damien Hirst importantideasart As an artist you're looking for universal triggers. You want it both ways. You want it to have an immediate impact, and you want it to have deep meanings as well. I'm striving for both. But I hate it when people write things that sound like they've swallowed a f... dictionary. Damien Hirst hateartistwriting You've really got to get down on the floor with yourself and get low in order to make great art. I think you've just got to accept who you are and do the most unbelievable things. Damien Hirst orderartthinking I think as an artist you have to reinvent yourself every day. Damien Hirst inventionartistthinking I sometimes feel that I have nothing to say and I want to communicate this. Damien Hirst communicationwantsometimes Painting is so poetic, while sculpture is more logical and scientific and makes you worry about gravity. Damien Hirst sculptureworryart I wanted a shark that's big enough to eat you, and in a large enough amount of liquid so that you could imagine you were in there with it. Damien Hirst liquidsharksimagine Making art, good art, is always a struggle. It can make you happy when you pull it off. There's no better feeling. It's beauteous. But it's always about hard work and inspiration and sweat and good ideas. Damien Hirst inspirationstruggleart To be an artist is not about fame; it's about art, which is this intangible thing that has got to have lots of integrity, whereas being famous doesn't really take any integrity. But I think you have to admit that you want to be famous, otherwise you can't be an artist. Art and fame together are like a desire to live forever. Damien Hirst integrityartthinking Here's one from me: 'You have to be aware that everyone else is thinking far too hard about themselves to be thinking about you, whoever you are.' If you want it, you can have it. Once you know that, you can be free. Damien Hirst thinking-about-youknowswant I believe all painting and art should be uplifting for the viewer. Damien Hirst upliftingbelieveart I just wanted to find out where the boundaries were. So far I've found there aren't any. I just wanted to be stopped, and no one will stop me. Damien Hirst freedomboundariesfound 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. Damien Hirst lighttoolsyesterday I love color. I feel it inside me. It gives me a buzz. Damien Hirst buzzcolorgiving
