Next Monday and Tuesday (9/15 and 9/16) Damien Hirst’s much anticipated Beautiful Inside My Mind Forever hits the auction block at Sotheby’s London location. Groundbreaking, in the sense that Hirst is skipping the traditional gallery market and going a, as he puts it, more democratic route. The sale is sure to bring in some large sums. And that, to be honest, takes some of the democracy away. 

Sotheby’s description of the sale is as follows — "Beautiful Inside My Head Forever, a major auction of works by Damien Hirst, will include an important series of new pieces which have been created over the past two years, including monumental formaldehyde sculptures; paintings which expand on the artist’s classic themes such as butterflies, cancer cells and pills; exquisite new cabinets and insightful preparatory drawings."

View some selections from the Beautiful Inside My Mind Forever sale after the jump.

Turner prize winner Damien Hirst is changing his selling tactic. Rather than go the traditional gallery route, the artist will now take new material directly to auction. Two shows worth of Hirst’s work will hit the floor at Sotheby’s on September 15 and 16. Included is the "The Golden Calf," a bull sealed in a formaldehyde filled gold plated and glass box. The work is estimated to go for twelve million pounds. 
Hirst’s sale, titled "Beautiful Inside My Head Forever," signals a major change in the art world. His prices are no longer "set" as it were, and in the competitive contemporary market we can expect record highs for Hirst’s sales. Not so sure that the auction house move actually opens Hirst to a wider market, but it will certainly lead to deep pockets. Via Supertouch.