Art "Factory" Pills Boosts Hirst

Bloomberg reports that a cabinet of pills by Damien Hirst may set an auction record for the British artist next month, with a top estimate of $3.5 million at Christie's International. The pill cabinet is part of a May 16th contemporary art sale in New York that may run to $300 million. The work, "Lullaby Winter" (2002), is made from stainless steel and glass and filled with hand-crafted, painted pills. Hirst will battle for the limelight at the sale with works by artists such as Andy Warhol, whose car-crash picture has a high estimate of $35 million. Hirst, 41, is a boon for dealers and auction houses such as Christie's as his works are fetching record prices and the 80 artists and support staff at his studios help turn out new works for each exhibition. The art factory is similar to a system used by Warhol, who died in 1987. Hirst's works on themes such as death, disease and religion are among the most expensive of any living artist. Auction sales for the British artist rose 84 percent last year to about $16.9 million, making his art works increasingly profitable for auction houses, dealers and consignors. Dealers in Hirst's art may earn 30 percent in commissions. Hirst's highest known price is $8 million for a pickled shark. His current auction record of $3.4 million is held by "Away From the Flock, Divided," a sliced lamb in a tank. Some 105 Hirst works were sold at art auction last year, second only for a British artist to the 255 of David Hockney, according to data service Artprice.com. Hirst's works took in $16.9 million, while the Hockney pictures took $11.3 million. (For full source and article click the Headline). Irish Art