Damien hirst

I think an ashtray is the most fantastically real thing.

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.

The goal in life is to be solid, whereas the way that life works is totally fluid, so you can never actually achieve that goal.

I always ignore money.

Making art, good art, is always a struggle. It can make you happy when you pull it off. There's no better feeling. It's beauteous. But it's always about hard work and inspiration and sweat and good...

A lot of people thought I wasn't doing anything because I was spending a lot of time socialising and going out, but I've always managed to get work actually done.

For me, art is always a kind of theater.

I used to believe I was going to live forever. And then you suddenly become aware that you're not.

A painting probably is the most shocking increase in value, from what it costs to make to what you sell it for.

Artists are like everybody else.