GRETA SCACCHI Enjoys a little mid-life angst - Mayfair Times

All eyes will be on Damien Hirst this month as more than 200 new works go to
auction at Sotheby’s. Hirst’s decision to bypass his dealers and sell direct at
auction has caused quite a stir among dealers and artists alike, with many
accusing the artist of trying to rewrite the rules of the market.
Beautiful Inside My Head Forever marks the 20th anniversary of the iconic
Freeze exhibition and includes 223 lots, the majority of which have been
produced in the last year. The two-day sale is expected to raise more than £65
million, with prices starting at £15,000-£20,000 for a range of drawings.
Star lot of the auction is The Golden Calf – a sculpture of a bull in
formaldehyde, complete with gold cast hooves and horns and a solid gold disc
above its head. The huge work carries a price tag of between £8 million and
£12 million.
The Golden Calf is complemented by a menagerie of pickled animals
including a tiger shark, a zebra and a “unicorn” (a foal with a resin horn).
Elsewhere, there are numerous examples of Hirst’s trademark spot, butterfly and
spin paintings, as well as a new series of gold works, many featuring
manufactured diamonds.
Cheyenne Westphal, chairman of contemporary art at Sotheby’s Europe,
described the works as: “Among his best yet — ambitious, exquisite and
incredibly powerful.”
Hirst’s long-term dealers, the Gagosian Gallery and White Cube, appear to
have given the sale their blessing.
A spokesperson for Gagosian said: “As Damien’s long-term gallery, we’ve
come to expect the unexpected. He can certainly count on us to be in the room
with paddle in hand.”
White Cube’s Jay Jopling, meanwhile, referenced the gallery’s financial stake
in the £50 million work For the Love of God as indicative of their unconventional
relationship: “Eight thousand, six hundred and one flawless diamonds
notwithstanding, ours has never been a traditional marriage and I look forward
to many more adventures to come.”
The relationship between Hirst and Sotheby’s is by no means new. Earlier
this year the artist joined forces with U2’s Bono to stage the RED charity auction
at Sotheby’s in New York, which raised more than £21 million. And then there
was the legendary Pharmacy auction in 2004, which realised £11.1 million and
had buyers queuing around the block.
The experience appears to have given Hirst a taste for the auction rooms.
“After the success of the Pharmacy auction, I always felt I would like to do
another auction,” he said. “It’s a very democratic way to sell art and it feels like a
natural evolution for contemporary art.
“The world’s changing. Ultimately, I need to see where this road leads.”
sophie@pubbiz.com
The Beautiful Inside My Head Forever auction will be held on 15-16 September.
The exhibition runs from 5-15 September at Sotheby’s, 34-35 New Bond Street.
020 7293 5000.
NEVER A STRANGER TO CONTROVERSY,
BRITAIN’S TOP ARTIST IS BYPASSING HIS
DEALERS BY SELLING DIRECT TO THE PUBLIC,
WRITES SOPHIE BISHOP
FROM TOP:
THE GOLDEN CALF,
£8 MILLION-£12 MILLION
BEAUTIFUL BRANWEN
PARAPHRENIA INTENSE PAINTING
(WITH EXTRA INNER BEAUTY),
£60,000-£80,000
AUROTHIOGLUCOSE,
£400,000-£600,000
Hirst
under the
hammer
19
art