First he gave the spin paintings and the dots and even the butterflies. Now the vitrines and medicine cabinets are a thing of the past. The BBC reports on Hirst’s latest declaration:

The artist has told the BBC there will be no more large-scale installation pieces, including his signature pickled animals and medicine cabinets. In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Front Row, Hirst says he is now solely painting by hand.

“For two years… the paintings were embarrassing and I didn’t want anyone to come in,” said the 44-year-old. Speaking amidst half-finished paintings in his studio – a garden shed in the grounds of his Devon farmhouse – Hirst admitted that he had to re-learn to paint for the first time since he was a teenage art student.

Whatever else, you’ve got to admire Hirst’s ability to milk this story.

Hirst ‘Gives Up Pickled Animals’ (BBC News)