I’m interested in a visual language, where you can almost trick people. I’ve always felt that the responsibility is on the viewer, not on the artist. You trick the viewer into thinking that you’re telling them something, but you’re revealing something that they already have. It’s like that Bruce Nauman piece where you’re always looking at the back of your own head as you walk through it. You don’t even need to put into words what that means, but it means something spiritual. And then it doesn’t.

I realised there was a sort of joy to colour, but then my problem with colour was that stupid happiness. It’s seductive, but devoid of meaning if you’re not careful.

Damien Hirst, extracts from ‘Damien Hirst’ published in the Evening Standard

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