It seems like only last week that Damien Hirst installed his massive ‘Cow & Chicken tank in an upmarket Shoreditch restaurant . Well now La Hirst has decided to be the man of the people he really is (nod, nod, wink) by loaning the painting titled, ‘Beautiful Psychedelic Gherkin Exploding Tomato Sauce All Over Your Face, Flame Grilled Painting 2003’. to the “Have it your way” fast food chain.
The painting worth a whopping £1m pounds has been installed in the restaurant’s flagship location in Leicester Square. It is thought that it will remain on display until the end of the year. Hirst’s loan of the spin-art to Burger King is a major coup for the brand, as it attempts to achieve cheap viral publicity ahead of arch- rival McDonalds who paid millions to the Olympics to be an official sponsor of the London 2012 Games.
The two meter painting will be displayed in the upstairs dining area of the 200 seat restaurant. By the way it will protected by reinforced glass and completely waterproof incase someone hurls a full coke or the contents of their stomach, after a night out clubbing. TheLeicester Square franchisee Django Fung stated; “I love the novelty of Damien’s artwork being in such an unexpected place. Art should be accessible to everyone, especially in such a busy summer, and putting this painting in our new-look Burger King restaurant in such a high-profile location does just that.”
Damien Hirst was born in Bristol in 1965. He studied Fine Art at Goldsmiths, University of London from 1986 to 1989 and is considered by many to be the leading figure of the group known as “Young British Artists”. The YBAs are characterised by their entrepreneurial spirit, independence and their ability to manipulate the media.Hirst dominated the art scene in Britain during the 1990s. His early career was closely linked with the collector Charles Saatchi, however over the last few years Hirst has distanced himself from this association. Hirst’s work explores the uncertainty at the core of human experience; love, life, death, loyalty and betrayal. His work has been exhibited widely,in Britain, the USA, Australia, and Europe. Work is included in many public and private collections.