On the Way to Work

"I want it to be revealing. I'll talk about anything you like. I want it to be truthful. Let's do it. There is no off-limits. I'm afraid of nothing." Recognized as a young artist with a brilliant and uncompromising imagination, Damien Hirst stands as Britain's most celebrated artist for generations. As the leader of a dominant movement in contemporary art, he is ingrained in public consciousness, known for his notorious shark and pickled sheep. Gordon Burn first met Hirst nine years ago, sharing a mutual admiration for influential interviews with artists. Their resulting conversations are electrifyingly candid, with Hirst offering unfiltered insights into celebrity, money, art, alcohol, sex, death, class, and more. He shares his views on notable figures like Marco Pierre White, Charles Saatchi, and David Bowie. Hirst's art and life defined the nineties, and this work captures the essence of a generation—brave, unpredictable, scabrously funny, and corrosively intelligent. It serves as a how-to guide for those aspiring to become the most famous artist in the world.