Damien Hirst (b. 1965), once the enfant terrible of the so-called Young British Artists, is one of the most controversial and certainly the most famous artist of his generation. His wide-ranging practice, which includes installation, painting, sculpture, and drawing, challenges the boundaries between art, science, and popular culture. Published to accompany the major retrospective of Hirst’s work on view at Tate Modern from April to September 2012, this book surveys 25 years of the artist’s practice, from sharks in formaldehyde to spot paintings to the medicine cabinets to diamond-encrusted skulls, making a major contribution to our understanding and appreciation of one of the most significant artists of our time.

With an introduction by curator Ann Gallagher, a new interview by Nicholas Serota, director of Tate, and essays by curator Andrew Wilson, author and critic Brian Dillon, and art historian and critic Thomas Crow, as well as shorter texts on key moments in Hirst’s career by Michael Craig-Martin and Michael Bracewell, this superbly illustrated survey is a fitting tribute to Hirst’s headline-making achievements.