Damien Hirst - jobs could go
Jobs are at risk at Stroud workshops run by the world's most expensive artist, Damien Hirst.
Mr Hirst's company Science runs a studio at Brimscombe Port where it is understood jobs could be lost.
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Damien Hirst
Jude Tyrrell, director of Science Ltd, confirmed that jobs are under threat.
"As previously stated by Mr Hirst in 2008, he has reached the end of several series of works and he is now in the process of reviewing his studio operations. As a result it is anticipated that jobs may be at risk," she said.
Staff at the Brimscombe studio are believed to have worked on Mr Hirst's dot paintings, butterfly wing and spin paintings.
Stroud district councillor Martin Whiteside, who represents Thrupp including Brimscombe Port, said that any job losses were a cause for regret.
But he added that Brimscombe Port is an area poised for regeneration when work to revive the canal gets under way.
"We are hoping that with canal regeneration and ownership of the land being transferred to the Cotswold Canal company, that it will build up new jobs along Brimscombe Port," he said.
Mr Hirst (pictured), who owns Toddington manor, near Winchcombe, is reputed to be the world's richest living artist, and a newspaper "rich list" estimated his wealth at being around £200million.
His platinum cast of a human skull encrusted with 8,601 flawless diamonds, entitled For the Love of God, sold for £50m in 2007.
He recently donated a signed copy of his book, For the Love of God, The Making of the Diamond Skull, to a charity auction in Stroud which sold for £3,800.
Mr Hirst has another studio at Chalford and premises on the former airfield at Aston Down.
He is also currently building a large studio complex at Dudbridge.
Recent years have seen a boom in the contemporary art market, culminating in a record-breaking £111m auction of Mr Hirst's work in September.
2 Comments
by John, Stroud
Wednesday, June 10 2009, 1:59PM
“It's sad that jobs are going but Hirst has done a lot for the area, having created hundreds of jobs over the last 15 years round here. I hope his sales pick up again. I hear he's a decent, generous bloke from friends who have worked for him.”
by knobby, my posts are normally removed by the echo
Wednesday, May 20 2009, 4:38PM
“"His platinum cast of a human skull encrusted with 8,601 flawless diamonds, entitled For the Love of God, sold for £50m in 2007." yes indeed, it was bought by, amongst others, Hirst himself, lol. Allegedly in an attempt to keep inflated prices for his"art", much of which is mass produced, artificially high.”