Damien Hirst’s Famous Spot Painting “Mickey”

Damien Hirst, who was born on 7 June 1965 is an English artist, entrepreneur, and art collector. He is a member of the group known as the Young British Artists. This group influenced the art scene in the UK during the 1990s. In 1986, Hirst started working on spot paintings. Presently, he has painted over 1,000 artworks in the series. He owns international repute and is United Kingdom's richest living artist. His wealth valued at £215M in 2010. His best known works include “Pharmaceutical” paintings. These paintings consist of a series of randomly coloured circles on a canvas. In January, 2014, Damien Hirst revealed his new spot painting. It was painted in household gloss on canvas and was based on the Disney character Mickey Mouse. Hirst derived the inspiration of painting Mickey from his childhood. Mickey reminded him of happiness and the joy of being a kid. He believed that Mickey is a universal and powerful icon. It is immediately recognisable and people love it. Hirst auctioned Mickey at Christie’s to collect money for children’s charity Kids Company. Francis Outred, who is the head of post-war and contemporary art at Christie’s Europe, narrated Hirst’s painting of Mickey as a bringing together of two icons. While painting “Mickey”, Hirst drew inspiration from all the painters who painted Mickey Mouse during their careers such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Claes Oldenburg.

By: Anuja Arora

Content: en.wikipedia.org