Art books · The artist speaks
Manual for Young Artists: Damien Hirst in conversation with Gordon Burn
Career, art, money and persona: a critical guide to Hirst and Burn’s book-length interview.
Quick answer: what kind of book is this?
Manual for Young Artists is the Italian edition of On the Way to Work, a long conversation between Damien Hirst and writer Gordon Burn. It is an oral autobiography rather than a technical handbook, showing how an artist builds works, relationships, fame and a recognisable language.
Postmedia Books published the Italian edition in 2005, translated by Michele Robecchi: 240 pages, ISBN 9788874900114. The English original appeared in 2001–2002.
What it actually tells
Burn follows Hirst from Leeds and Goldsmiths to Freeze, Charles Saatchi, Larry Gagosian and international fame. Their conversations cover Francis Bacon, life and death, money, studio production, provocation and responsibility.
The direct voice is valuable but needs critical reading: Hirst also narrates his own legend. Burn lets contradictions and strategies surface without turning the interview into neutral praise.
Why read it in 2026
Young artists see that careers require organisation, alliances, presentation and continuity as well as inspiration. Collectors see how public biography and intermediaries shape a market.
The useful lesson is to separate work, persona and system, then ask who produces, exhibits, certifies and narrates an artwork.
Bibliographic record and readers
Damien Hirst and Gordon Burn, On the Way to Work; Italian edition Manuale per giovani artisti, Postmedia Books, 2005, Michele Robecchi translation, 240 pages, ISBN 9788874900114.
For emerging artists, students, curators and collectors interested in creation, markets and authorship.
Sources and further reading
Sources allow readers to verify and explore. Official artist links are part of the feature, not an appendix.
ADVAcquistare Arte recommends: Resin-sealed books, words and layered images turn melancholy into a material narrative.
Painting · memory · collage
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