Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons – two of the art world’s biggest hitters – have never been subtle in their approaches to both art and money. Whether you approve of their blockbuster bombast or not, there’s no denying that anything these two men do is report-worthy.
The New York Times reported last week that Koons was parting with $100 million of his personal art collection, which is to be sold at Christie’s in November. The collection – which features works by Picasso and Manet – is being reportedly sold because Koons wants to ‘reinvest in his practice.’ In 2024, Koons spoke of his interest in Picasso’s late-stage works
“I really believe Picasso was at his most generous,” the artist said. “He was this kind of shaman torchbearer, showing us that we can have a richer, better life.”
The Christie’s sale was announced in the same week that Damien Hirst announced that he had teamed up with luxury cashmere brand Barrie to create a capsule collection. The collection will be limited to 100 pieces, adorned with Hirst’s trademark butterflies and dots. Speaking on the collaboration Hirst said “Anything done well is art.”
Speaking exclusively to Vanity Fair, Hirst added
“I come from a museum world where people go, ‘don’t touch it.’ In the art world, we all believe that art is a sacred thing.”
Playing with boundaries, as he has done throughout his whole career he further stated that “I really want to make sure that people wear this and don’t put it into dusty storage.”
This won’t be the first time that an artist has committed to work with a clothing brand to bring consumer items to the market, but one wonders whether Hirst, Britain’s richest living artist, with an estimated personal fortune of over £315 million, sees the partnership as an easy money-spinner that he has to commit very little time or effort to.
Koons, 71, and Hirst, 61, have both managed to uber-commodify their work, and indeed themselves, on a scale that is both breathtaking and rare. And it’s interesting that both men continue to defy difficult economic times and thrive. The Christie’s sale would be potentially record-breaking even without the Koons name added to it but knowing that one of art world’s mightiest behemoths has personally curated his own collection gives it an extra cachet.
Koons has not commented on the sale.
Christie’s global president Alex Rotter – without confirming the consignor – said about November’s sale that “It is a vision. It’s not pedestrian.”
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