Damien Hirst Takes on Disney With a Polka Dot Mickey Mouse

Mickey gets the Hirst treatment.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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When he's not embalming sharks or designing whole cities, Damien Hirst is painting dots. His "Pharmaceutical" paintings, as they are known, have been disparaged by critics but have also brought the artist a ton of money. For his newest dot creation, Hirst is taking on a pop culture icon—Mickey Mouse.

“Mickey Mouse represents happiness and the joy of being a kid and I have reduced his shape down to the basic elements of a few simple spots," Hirst told The Independent. "I hope people love it, because it is still instantly recognizable—Mickey Mouse is such a universal and powerful icon.”

Mickey will be sold at Christie's in February to raise money for the children's charity Kids Company. 

But Hirst might want to keep his new work under lock and key. Last month a thief stole two of Hirst's Pharmacutical paintings from a gallery in London. The incident was hilariously (sorry, Hirst) caught on video

RELATED: Art Beat: The 10 Damien Hirst Works You Should Know

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