Quotes from Damien Hirst

I always ignore money.

The idea of going on tour for the rest of my life with old works is not that exciting. As an artist I definitely think the work in future is going to be better than the work in the past, otherwise why do it?

I love art. It is uplifting.

I used to watch 'Top of the Pops' when I was a kid and say 'Yeah!' or 'Boo!' at every single song. So there was nothing in the middle. You brutally put it on one side or another.

I'm 43. I'm not ready to sit down in a chair with my name on it yet.

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.

I sometimes feel that I have nothing to say and I want to communicate this.

People always say that my work is sensational or shocking but there are truly shocking things you could do, and my sculptures don't go anywhere near that.

When you've just done it, you're not sure. But when you've sat with it for a couple of hours and you don't want to do anything more to it, that's a great feeling. It can stand on its own two feet.

I don't see what else you can spend your money on... If you want to own things, art is a pretty good bet.

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.

Sometimes when you're drunk you can see better.

I always look at money not as a motivating factor but as an element in the composition. You can't ignore it, but you've got to be very careful that it's not motivating you.

I've spent a long time avoiding painting and dealing with it from a distance. But as I get older, I'm more comfortable with it.

But I'm more interested in why people are frightened by Jaws and why Jaws was such a hit than saying Spielberg's my main influence.

There was a point I could have just churned out the spot and spin paintings for ever and laughed all the way to the bank.

For me, art is always a kind of theater. When I started the spot paintings, I made them as an endless series. But I was never serious about it being an endless series. It was just an implied endless series. The theater means you just have to make it look good for that moment in the spotlight.

You need a big ego to be an artist.

People don't like contemporary art, but all art starts life as contemporary - I can't really see a difference.

I've never learned to drive because I get lots of ideas when I'm a passenger in a car. I love to get in a car with a driver and just think and work things out.

I always feel like the art's there and I just see it, so it's not really a lot of work.

Art goes on in your head. If you said something interesting, that might be a title for a work of art and I'd write it down.

I'm a hypocrite and a slut and I'll change my mind tomorrow.

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.