Look To The Stars News: Damien Hirst

Elton John AIDS Foundation Photography Portfolio

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:30:00 -0000

Elton John invites you to invest in artwork to support his AIDS Foundation.

The Elton John AIDS Foundation Photography Portfolio is a collection of ten signed and numbered prints by some of the world’s the most outstanding international names in contemporary photography. Sales of the Photography Portfolio support urgently needed grant-making initiatives supporting innovative HIV prevention programs, efforts to eliminate AIDS-related discrimination and stigma, and direct care services.

“I am both thrilled by the extraordinary array of art that has been contributed to this collection and profoundly grateful to the generous and talented artists represented within for supporting EJAF’s vital work,” said Sir Elton.

Published by Jackson Fine Art in Atlanta, the limited edition boxed Portfolio sells for $25,000 and constitutes an extraordinary set for collectors or collecting organizations. The prints, in an edition of 40, with 12 artist’s proofs, were produced under the supervision of the artists. The Portfolio will be presented in a 20 × 24 inch box designed by Li. Inc.

“The Portfolio is a way for us to connect with the visual arts world, which has always been at the forefront in the fight against HIV/AIDS, and it is proof that artists continue to care,” said Scott Campbell, Executive Director of the Foundation.

The Photography Portfolio includes works by Nan Goldin, Katy Grannan, Damien Hirst, Sally Mann, Richard Misrach, Shirin Neshat, Thomas Struth, Sam Taylor-Wood, Juergen Teller and Ruud van Empel.

The artworks are on show until August 22 at Jackson Fine Art, 3115 East Shadowlawn Avenue, Atlanta. The photographs can be viewed here.

Damien Hirst Decorates Bike For Lance Armstrong

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Lance Armstrong is currently working towards winning his 8th Tour de France title, and for the final stage he will ride a special bike decorated by Damien Hirst.

The final stage of the race – due to finish July 26 – will see Armstrong aboard the Hirst bike to promote the Lance Armstrong Foundation, an organization established to give inspiration and empowerment to people with cancer through education, advocacy, public health and research programs.

The bike reportedly features a butterfly design.

Elton John Dedicates Song To Michael Jackson At Charity Bash

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Elton John held his 11th annual White Tie & Tiara Ball to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation on Thursday, June 25.

Held at his Windsor mansion, “Woodside”, the party featured entertainment by Justin Timberlake and attracted guests such as Sam Taylor Wood, Damien Hirst, Elizabeth Hurley, Kate Beckinsale, Shirley Bassey, Lily Allen, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Natalie Imbruglia, David Walliams, Geri Halliwell, Lily Cole and Erin O’Connor.

The annual ball has raised over £27 million since its inception, with last week’s event raising £4 million.

Sir Elton reportedly was told about the death of Michael Jackson during the evening, and dedicated a version of Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me to the singer.

Damien Hirst Artworks Sold For Charity

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:30:00 -0000

Twenty-eight paintings and artworks, including items donated by British artist Damien Hirst, went under the hammer for charity last week.

The auction in Paris made over US$6 million for AVEC – or Association pour la Vie et l’Espoir contre le Cancer (Association for Life and Hope Against Cancer) – a French cancer research organization.

Seventy-six percent of buyers were European; the rest were from the United States. No reserves were set on the artworks, which meant the final profits were over $1 million higher than expected.

“The market is not so high,” said Florence de Botton, Christie’s head of contemporary art in Paris. “This was a beautiful gift from everyone.”

Other artists to have work featured in the auction included Richard Serra and Jeff Koons.

Damien Hirst is well known for donating works to charity. In January he donated a painting to the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, and in 2008 he helped raise over $40 million for Bono’s (RED) in a Valentine’s Day art auction.

Damien Hirst Donates Painting To Cancer Charity

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Legendary artist and humanitarian Damien Hirst has donated a painting to a cancer charity that is expected to fetch over £10,000 at auction.

The 43-year-old artist gifted the painting – one of his acclaimed spin-circle works – to the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, a charity set up by former English football star Bobby Robson, who is currently battling cancer for the fifth time. The charity was set up in 2008 and has already raised £1m for a new medical research centre at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle.

“I think it’s a fantastic and generous gesture from Mr Hirst,” said Robson. “He’s clearly a very talented artist and I must say I’ll be sorry to give up this wonderful painting. I’m sure we’ll find a very appreciative buyer who will enjoy owning this striking artwork and they will also have the satisfaction of knowing they have helped a very important cause.”

The artwork will be displayed at the Lazarides Gallery in Newcastle and prospective buyers are invited to register their interest with the gallery.

Joe Strummer To Be Remembered In Benefit Gig

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A benefit concert celebrating the life of Joe Strummer will be held in London later this month.

Strummer – guitarist and singer for punk legends The Clash – died of heart complications in 2002. He helped set up Future Forests – now known as The Carbon Neutral Company – an organization dedicated to planting trees in various parts of the world in order to combat global warming. Following his death, artist Damien Hirst set up Strummerville, a non-profit organization that aims to help young musicians.

The benefit concert will take place on December 21 – the anniversary of Strummer’s death – and will feature up-and-coming punk bands such as The Rotten Hill Gang, The Riff-Raff, Dan Smith and The Savage Nomads.

Proceeds from the concert – which will be held at West London’s Tabernacle on Powis Square – will go to Strummerville and its mission to “reflect Joe’s unique contribution to the music world by offering support, resources and performance opportunities to artists who would not normally have access to them”.

More info can be found at the Strummerville website.

Damien Hirst Doodles For MRI Scanner

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

British artist Damien Hirst has donated three sketches to a charity auction to raise money for the New Manchester Children’s Hospital.

The drawings – which are expected to raise US$3,500 each – feature a shark, a skull, and a butterfly. They will be auctioned at the Buy Art Fair, to be held at Manchester’s Urbis centre from Thursday to Sunday, and will raise money for the Five Stars Scanner Appeal – a campaign aiming to raise US$1.7 million for an MRI scanner for the hospital.

Boxer Ricky Hatton and Rocky Horror Picture Show creator Richard O’Brien have also donated drawings and doodles to be auctioned.

In February, the 42-year-old artist organized a Valentine’s Day auction of more than 60 works of art to raise funds for Bono’s (RED) charity that made over $42.6 million. He regularly donates artworks to help charities such as ARK, War Child, the Dorset Wildlife Trust, the Great Ormond Street Hospital and many others.

Celebrities Raid The ARK In Charity Auction

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 11:38:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A role in the next film made by Uma Thurman, a Damien Hirst painting, a Fiat 500 decorated by the artist Tracey Emin, and a private jet tour of the Château Cheval Blanc and Château d’Yquem wineries were all up for auction on Wednesday night to raise money for ARK.

The event was the annual ARK Charity Dinner, and was held at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London. A host of celebrities attended the function, including Sarah Ferguson, Jemima Khan, Elizabeth Hurley, and Simon Cowell, each paying up to $98,000 for a table of 10.

The 1,000 attendees were entertained by a special performance by Stevie Wonder and a speech from former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Over £25.5 million ($50.23 million) was raised this year, coming close to meeting the success of last year’s £26.6 million ($53 million) event. A downwards trend is currently being seen across the board – the Robin Hood Foundation in New York raised $56.5 million for charity in an evening last week, $15 million less than a year earlier.

ARK, or Absolute Return for Kids, is an international charity whose purpose is to transform children’s lives. Founded in 2002 by a group of senior figures in the alternative investment industry, the organization works to pool the skills and resources of the industry to improve the life chances of children.

Girls Aloud Show Their Humanitarian Side

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A special auction on eBay last week helped raise more than $18,000 for children’s charity War Child.

A host of celebrities, including Girls Aloud and Keane, donated items for a special celebrity auction for the charity, which raises money to support children acutely affected by conflict in some of the world’s most dangerous war zones.

A number of items at the auction gained special attention, including a pair of signed Spin paintings by Damien Hirst that sold for around $8,000 each. A pair of shoes donated by Keane vocalist Tom Chaplin sold for $900, and a painting by Girls Aloud went out for $160.

Girls Aloud, a British girl group formed in 2002, also showed their humanitarian side last week when they met a little girl backstage whose father had recently died.

Macie Nunn, five, wrote to the group to tell them about the difficult year her family has had since her dad Mark, 37, collapsed and died of an undetected heart condition at work last May.

“We were going to the concert anyway but I thought it would be extra nice if Macie could meet the girls,” said Macie’s mother, Jude. “We were amazed when we got a call on Sunday at 7am from one of the girl’s assistants saying that she’d like to organize a meet and greet for us before the concert.”

Macie was extremely excited about the band’s invitation, and it will be an experience she will remember for a long time.

“Kimberley [one of the singers] hugged, cuddled, and kissed Macie the way I do,” said Jude. “She was so nice and all of the girls were so moved by her bravery. Macie had lipstick on her cheek and she didn’t want to wash it off. It was so nice that the girls took time out to meet their fans, and Macie was over-the-moon. We’ve both been hyper ever since.”

Bono's Charity Auction Raises $42.6m for (RED)

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 12:11:22 -0000

Written by Delinda Lombardo

Sotheby’s was seeing red last week as Bono and artist Damien Hirst organized a Valentine’s Day auction of more than 60 works of art to raise funds for Bono’s (RED) charity. And by by the end of the night, the U2 frontman had rallied deep-pocketed bidders to make the AIDS charity auction a raging success to the tune of $42.6 million.

“It is a historic night for artists” said Bono, “An extraordinary night in New York City. I am very moved.”

The U2 frontman was flanked by celebrity pals as he led the guests in a sing-along of the Beatles’ ‘All You Need Is Love’. “I see myself as a servant for Africa,” Bono said, “Tonight is about the awareness of AIDS and the medical treatment that can strongly aid in the demise of this disease.”

Throngs of celebrity bidders were on hand to snatch up items such as a steel and glass cabinet by Hirst called ‘Where There’s a Will There’s a Way,’ which fetched $7.15M. The cabinet was filled with drugs to treat HIV.

“I have watched people dying for lack of these pills,” Bono said after the sale. “I actually can’t quantify how many people that will keep alive. It’s not just the money we made tonight, it’s the excitement around the issue.”

Model Christy Turlington bought Francesco Clemente’s ‘Red Flower on Scorched Earth’ for $155,000, even though it was valued at $70,000.

“When I first saw the catalog, I loved this piece the most,‘’ Turlington said after the sale. "It was completely impulsive.’’

Bono seems to inspire the best of people, so it’s no surprise that most auction items were sold for well above their estimated value.

“Tonight we got serious about love, and not just the love of art, but the love of our brothers and sisters suffering from Aids in the poorest places on the planet,” he said.

A work by London street artist Banksy sold for $1.7M, though it had been valued at no more than $350,000; Murakami’s ‘Red Flower Ball’ was estimated at $700,000, but sold for $1.5M; Richard Prince’s ‘Untitled’ sold for $1.6 million even though the top estimate was $900,000; and Andreas Gursky’s ‘Pyongyang IV’ was valued at $300,000, but adding Bono into the mix led to a final bid of $1.4M.

“I’m never going to be cynical ever again for a while,” Bono said. “We’ve helped change the world a little bit.”

Among those on hand to support the cause were NBC news anchor Brian Williams, R.E.M. front man Michael Stipe, Queen Noor of Jordan, actor Dennis Hopper, tennis star John McEnroe, supermodel Helena Christensen, actor Ed Burns and hip-hop entrepreneur Russell Simmons.

Proceeds from the sale, which was organized at no cost by Bono’s charity organization (RED), will go directly to the United Nations Foundation to support HIV/AIDS relief programs run by The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Bono And Hirst Make Art History Now

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 08:24:01 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Bono and his (RED) organisation are lending support for the upcoming Valentine’s Day art auction by Sotheby’s at the Gagosian Gallery in New York, expected to raise a whopping $40 million.

Artists such as Georg Baselitz, Matthew Barney, Cecily Brown, Antony Gormley, Subodh Gupta, Anish Kapoor, Jeff Koons, Jasper Johns and Keith Tyson will join internationally renowned Damien Hirst in donating over 100 works for auction on February 14.

Hirst, probably the most prominent member of the Young British Artists group, invited the contemporary artists to participate. In his desire to give something back to the world community, the proceeds will be donated to the United Nations Foundation HIV-AIDS programs in Africa.

“For a relatively small amount of effort on each artist’s part we can actually save many lives,” said the 47-year-old artist. “Money is a key and what we raise from this auction will make a huge difference for a lot of people.”

Among Hirst’s donations will be his artwork entitled All You Need Is Love, which is hoped to raise over $1 million, and which depicts a giant, shiny red heart stuck with butterflies.

Bono views this sale as a historic moment, bringing the best collection of art together from the best living artists. “I love art for art’s sake, but what we have here is a real moment in art history.”

The works will be on display during the week leading up to the auction.

Butterflies Benefit British Wildlife

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 12:56:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Over 120 British celebrities have put their artistic skills to the test for an online auction, and a dazzling collection of their original drawings and paintings will help raise money to save wildlife.

The artworks, which all feature a colorful array of butterflies and moths, are currently being auctioned on eBay, with the proceeds going to the Dorset Wildlife Trust, one of 47 local Wildlife Trusts across the UK, dedicated to the conservation of Britain’s unique wildlife. Famous names such as Daniel Craig, Ricky Gervais, and member of the newly reformed Spice Girls, Melanie C, are just some of those who have donated artworks to the auction, which started on September 16 and will run for several months.

“We have had a fantastic and generous response from all our celebrity artists,” said auction organizer, Les Bunce. “And sponsorship of our costs means that all the money raised will go straight to help wildlife in Dorset.”

The auction follows a similar auction held five years ago, in which celebrities such as Sean Bean, Joely Richardson, and Sir Paul McCartney painted their favourite orchids for the Trust. The event raised over $60,000, and the proceeds were used to monitor and improve wildlife habitats, plant trees, clean up roadsides, and raise public motivation to support conservation issues.

The items at this year’s event will be sold a few at a time, and each drawing will be available online for a week. As items are sold, new ones will be added. The event will culminate on December 13, with works donated by Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst being auctioned at a Grand Finale at Christie’s Auction House in London.

Other celebrities involved with the event include cricketer Ian Botham, singer Katie Melua, and actor Tony Robinson. A full list of contributors can be seen at www.dorsetwildlife.co.uk, and the auction can be viewed at www.myworld.ebay.co.uk/dorsetwildlifetrust/.

Red Hot Chili Peppers Join Hullabaloo

Sun, 15 Apr 2007 11:58:09 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Eddie Vedder are to perform at the third annual Hullabaloo concert on May 5th in Los Angeles.

Woody Harrelson will be the Master of Ceremonies for the fundraising evening, which will include a silent auction featuring rock photographs, fine art and event packages and trips, as well as a live auction with rare collectibles and a selection of art by Damien Hirst.

The event benefits the Silverlake Conservatory of Music, which will use the funds raised to provide instruments and music lessons for low-income students.

Kylie, Moby and McCartney Give Charity Canvases

Sat, 27 Jan 2007 18:44:33 -0000

Written by Steve Purcell

The Hospital Gallery in London’s Covent Garden is to exhibit a collection of celebrities’ paintings before they are sold at auction to aid Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Celebrity contributors to “The Alive and Well Dog Project” include artist Damien Hirst, and such stars as Kylie Minogue, Paul McCartney, Moby, legendary soccer player Pelé, and comedian Ricky Gervais. Each of the 130 contributed paintings is an interpretation of a doodled dog drawn by the six-year-old son of event organiser Simon Freedman. The auction could raise as much as £300,000 for the children’s hospital.

The exhibition will run from January 29 to February 7, with the auction taking place at the gallery itself on January 31. A book of the project will also be available, in a limited run of 600 copies.

Great Ormond Street Hospital was famously given the rights to “Peter Pan” by author J. M. Barrie.

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