Over the last year we have tracked down most of the works originally shown in Charles Saatchi’s Sensation exhibition which opened at the Royal Academy in London in September 1997.
As the gallery inaugurates USA Today, an exhibition of American art drawn from Saatchi’s collection, we reveal where the iconic British art of the 1990s by Damien Hirst, Gavin Turk, Jake and Dinos Chapman, Tracey Emin, Chris Ofili, and many others is today.
In the case of works which exist in multiple editions we have tried to find the specific edition which was shown in Sensation. We have been unable to locate some pieces.
Stefan T. Edlis
Apollo Plastics (Retired), Chicago
Ron Mueck
Dead Dad, 1996-97, silicone and acrylic.
Sold through James Cohan Gallery, New York. Will be on display in Ron Mueck at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, 3 November-4 February 2007. The exhibition travels to the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, February–May 2007
David Teiger
Gemini Consulting (Retired), New Jersey
Jenny Saville
Propped, 1992, oil on canvas.
Sold by Gagosian Gallery
Adam Sender
Exis Capital, New York
Chris Ofili
Afrodizzia, 1996, paper collage, oil paint, glitter, polyester resin, map pins, elephant dung on linen.
Sold at Phillips de Pury & Co for $1m (est $500,000-$700,000) on 12 May 2005, lot 42
Steven A. Cohen
Sac Capital, Greenwich, Ct
Damien Hirst
Away from the Flock, 1994, steel, glass, lamb, formaldehyde solution.
Other editions of this sculpture are with Eli Broad in Los Angeles and Anthony D’Offay in London. An artist’s proof of the work belongs to Damien Hirst and is on long-term display at the Archaeological Museum in Naples
The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, 1991, tiger shark, glass, steel, 5% formaldehyde solution.
Sold through Gagosian Gallery in December 2005 for £6.5m ($12.3m), according to the Saatchi Gallery
Marc Quinn
Self, 1991, blood, stainless steel, perspex, refrigeration equipment.
Sold through the Gagosian Gallery, reportedly for £1.5m ($2.8m)
Frank Gallipoli
Sempra Energy Trading, New Canaan, CT
Gavin Turk
Pop, 1993, glass, brass, MDF, fibreglass, wax, clothing, gun
Jake & Dinos Chapman
Zygotic Acceleration, Biogenetic, De-sublimated Libidinal Model (Enlarged x1000), 1995, fibreglass
Marcus Harvey
Myra, 1995, acrylic on canvas
Marcus Harvey, Myra, on show at Sensation, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1997 © Marcus Harvey. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2022. Installation photograph: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo
Gary Hume
Begging For It, 1994, gloss paint on panel
Chris Ofili
Popcorn Tits, 1996, oil paint, paper collage, glitter, polyester resin, map pins, elephant dung on linen
Jenny Saville
Plan, 1993, oil on canvas.
Sold by Gagosian Gallery
Simon Patterson
The Great Bear, 1992, four-colour lithograph in anodised aluminium frame
Damien Hirst
Since Sensation opened in 1997, Damien Hirst has gone on to become the most successful artist of his generation. In the last few years he has also emerged as one of the most important collectors of contemporary art in the UK with holdings of work by his fellow Sensation artist Sarah Lucas, and the American Jeff Koons. In November 2003, he purchased most of his own works back from Charles Saatchi, some of which he no longer owns. In 2005, he bought Toddington Manor, a dilapidated Gothic country house in Gloucestershire. He has suggested that, after the necessary restoration, he hopes to open Toddington Manor as a gallery of contemporary art. A selection of works drawn from Damien Hirst’s collection will go on show at the Serpentine Gallery in London from 25 November to 28 January 2007
Damien Hirst
A Thousand Years, 1990, steel, glass, flies, maggots, MDF, insect-o-cutor, cow’s head, sugar, water
Beautiful, Kiss My Fucking Ass Painting, 1996, gloss household paint on canvas
Argininosuccinic Acid, 1995, gloss household paint on canvas
Sarah Lucas
Bunny, 1997, tights, plywood chair, clamp, kapok stuffing with wire
Sod You Gits, 1990, photocopy on paper
Two Fried Eggs and a Kebab, 1992, photograph, fried eggs, kebab, table
Au Naturel, 1994, mattress, water bucket, melons, oranges, cucumber.
Figleaf in the Ointment, 1991, plaster, hair, life-size
Charles Saatchi
Our investigation suggests that Charles Saatchi has kept only a few works from Sensation for his collection. These include:
Marc Quinn
No Visible Means of Escape, 1996, RTV 74-30, rope. Shown at the Saatchi Gallery in County Hall in 2005.
Chris Ofili
The Holy Virgin Mary, 1996, paper collage, oil paint, glitter, polyester resin, map pins, elephant dung on linen.
This was the painting at the centre of the storm when Sensation was shown at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. Then, New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said of the painting: “it offends me…[it] is sick”
Chris Ofili, The Holy Virgin Mary, 1996, on show at Sensation, Brooklyn Museum, New York, 1999 Richard Levine / Alamy Stock Artwork © Chris Ofili
Jake & Dinos Chapman
Tragic Anatomies, 1996, fibreglass, resin, paint, smoke devices (detail)
Destroyed By Fire In Momart Warehouse, London, 26 May 2004
Tracey Emin
Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963-1995, 1995, appliquéd tent, mattress, light
Gary Hume
My Aunt and I Agree, 1995, gloss paint on aluminium panel
Richard Patterson
Motorcrosser II, 1995, oil and acrylic on canvas;
Culture Station #2—Dirty Picture, 1996, oil on canvas;
Culture Station #3—With Fur Hat, 1997, oil on canvas
Marcus Harvey
Dudley, Like What You See? Then Call Me, 1996, acrylic on canvas;
Proud of His Wife, 1994, oil and acrylic on canvas
Jane Simpson
Sacred, 1993, MDF, gesso, watercolour, tinplate, refrigeration unit
Martin Maloney
Sony Levi, 1997, oil on canvas
Saatchi Gallery
Available For Rent
Richard Billingham
Untitled, 1993-95, set of eight colour photographs on aluminium
Alain Miller
Eye Love Eye, 1997, oil on canvas.
Offered for sale at Christie’s London on 27 June 2001, lot 96, est £12,000-£16,000. Bought in. Then offered for sale at Sotheby’s London on 22 October 2002, lot 483, est £5,000-£7,000. Bought in Langlands & Bell,
Ivrea (in Ten Parts), 1991, mixed media construction with hardwood, wood products, glass and cellulose lacquer.
Offered for sale at Sotheby’s London on 26 June 2002 , lot 52, est £20,000-£30,000. Bought in
Adam Chodzko
The God Look-Alike Contest, 1992-93, (Last Judgement Version)
Nick Silver
London
Jake & Dinos Chapman
Ubermensch (detail), 1995, fibreglass, resin, paint.
Sold at Christie’s London on 8 December 1998 for £10,350 (est £10,000-£12,000), lot 130
Arts Council Collection, UK
Paul Finnegan
Untitled, 1995, mixed media sculpture with shoes.
Offered for sale at Christie’s London on 27 June 2001, lot 102, est £6,000-£8,000. Bought in. Donated to the Arts Council collection by Charles Saatchi in 2003
National Gallery Of Art, Washington DC
Rachel Whiteread
Ghost, 1990, plaster on steel frame.
Loaned by Charles Saatchi to Tate Modern for their inaugural show in 2000. Then sold by the Gagosian Gallery. In November 2004 the work was given as a partial and promised gift to the National Gallery by the Glenstone Foundation set up by the manufacturing billionaire Mitchell P. Rales.
Anita Zabulodowitz
London
Michael Landy
Costermonger’s Stall, 1992-97, mixed media construction with wood, gloss paint, tarpaulin, plastic buckets, electric lights and flowers.
Sold for £23,900 (est £20,000-£30,000) at Sotheby’s London on 26 June 2002, lot 48
David Roberts, London
Edinburgh house estates
Keith Coventry
White Abstract (Sir Norman Reid Explaining Modern Art to The Queen (detail), 1994, oil on canvas, wood, gesso, glass.
Sold in 2006 by the Fine Art Society to the British collector David Roberts. Previously with Austin Desmond, who bought it at Christie’s London on 8 February 2002 for £6,462 (est £5,000-£7,000), lot 139.
Museum Of Modern Art New York
Yinka Shonibare
How Does a Girl Like You, Get to Be a Girl Like You?, 1995, wax print cotton textiles.
Acquired by MoMA in 2002
Tate Modern, London
Sam Taylor-Wood
Killing Time, 1994, video projection and sound, duration 60 min.
Bought by Tate at Christie’s London on 6 February 2002 for £17,625 (est £15,000-£20,000), lot 134. This is the only work from Sensation to have been acquired by a public gallery in the UK
Sensation And The Turner Prize
Sensation opened in London nine years ago. Since then, two of the artists whose work was included in the show have won the Turner Prize and another eight have been shortlisted. A Sensation artist has been on the shortlist for eight of the last ten years.
The artists
1997 Gillian Wearing winner
1998 Chris Ofili winner; Sam Taylor-Wood shortlisted
1999 Tracey Emin shortlisted
2000 Glenn Brown shortlisted
2001 Richard Billingham shortlisted
2003 Jake & Dinos Chapman shortlisted
2004 Langlands & Bell shortlisted; Yinka Shonibare shortlisted
2005 Darren Almond shortlisted
François Pinault
Damien Hirst
Some Comfort Gained from the Acceptance of the Inherent Lies in Everything, 1996, steel, glass, cows, formaldehyde solution, 12 tanks.
Bought by Damien Hirst from Charles Saatchi. Then sold to François Pinault
Rachel Whiteread
Untitled (100 Spaces, detail), 1995, resin, 100 units.
Rotating displays drawn from Mr Pinault’s collection are on view at the Palazzo Grassi in Venice
The Jumex Collection
Mexico City
Sarah Lucas
Receptacle of Lurid Things, 1991, wax, life-size.
Sold for $30,550 (est $30,000-$40,000) at Christie’s New York on 15 November 2001, lot 301
Jason Martin
Jason Martin
Shaman.
Sold to Lisson Gallery
Private Collection Portugal
Jason Martin
Trump.
Sold to Lisson Gallery
Jack Helgesen, Norway
Abigail Lane
Misfit, 1994, wax, plaster, oil paint, human hair, clothing, glass eyes. Sold for £7,475 (est £5,000-£7,000) at Christie’s London on 8 December 1998, lot 71
Private Collection Belgium
Mark Wallinger
Race Class Sex, 1992, oil on canvas.
Sold for £89,150 at Sotheby’s London on 26 June 2002, lot 53
Hamburger Kunsthalle
Mona Hatoum
Deep Throat, 1996, table, chair, television set, glass plate, fork, knife, water glass, laser disc, laser disc player.
Sold at Christie’s London on 6 February 2002 for £60,950 (est £20,000-£30,000), lot 119. Another edition of Deep Throat sold for £66,000 (£35,000-£45,000) at Christie’s London on 8 February 2006, lot 57.
Private Collector, Tasmania
Jake & Dinos Chapman
Great Deeds Against the Dead, 1994, mixed media with plinth
Other Sales
Darren Almond
Fan, 1997, wood, plastic, micro-processors, paint, motors.
Private collection Europe
Glenn Brown
Ornamental Despair (Painting for Ian Curtis) after Chris Foss, 1994, oil on canvas.
Sold at Christie’s London on 6 February 2002 for £32,900 (est £20,000-£30,000), lot 133
The Day the World Turned Auerbach, 1992, oil on canvas.
Sold at Christie’s London on 8 December 1998 for £8,050 (est £4,000-£5,000), lot 106
Simon Callery
Newton’s Note, 1996, oil on canvas.
Sold at Christie’s London on 8 February 2002 for £5,875 (est £5,000-£7,000), lot 148
Peter Davies
Text Painting, 1997, acrylic on canvas. Sold for £16,450 (est £10,000-£12,000) at Christie's London on 8 February 2002, lot 234
Mark Francis
Negative, 1995, oil on canvas.
Sold for $16,800 (est $10,000-$15,000) at Christie’s New York on 11 January 2005, lot 77
Alex Hartley
Untitled (Ronan Point), 1995, photograph with MDF and steel.
Sold for £9,400 (est £6,000-£8,000) at Christie’s London on 27 June 2001, lot 113
Damien Hirst, Away from the Flock (1994) on display at Sensation at The Royal Academy of Arts in London, 1997 © Damien Hirst and Science Ltd. All rights reserved, DACS 2022. Installation photograph: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo
Damien Hirst
This Little Piggy Went to Market, This Little Piggy Stayed At Home, 1996, steel, GRP composites, glass, pig, formaldehyde solution, electric motor, two tanks.
Bought by Damien Hirst from Charles Saatchi. Resold by Hirst
Isolated Elements Swimming in the Same Direction for the Purpose of Understanding, 1991, MDF, melamine, wood, steel, glass, perspex cases, fish, 5% formaldehyde solution.
Bought by Damien Hirst from Charles Saatchi. Resold by Hirst
Gary Hume
Dolphin Painting No IV, 1991, gloss paint on MDF board, four panels.
Private collection
Vicious, 1994, gloss paint on panel.
Private collection
Tony Blackburn, 1994, gloss paint on panel.
Sold at Christie’s London on 6 February 2002 to Jay Jopling/White Cube for £78,550 (est £40,000-£60,000), lot 126
Sarah Lucas
1-123-123-12-12, 1991, size seven boots with razor blades.
Sold at Christie’s London on 6 February 2002 for £30,550 (est £8,000-£12,000) to private collector Jose-Maria Cuno bidding against London dealer Paul Stolper. Then sold to a private collector in New York
Where Does It All End?, 1994-95, wax and cigarette butt.
An edition of this sold at Christie’s London on 6 February 2002 for £17,625 (est £15,000-£20,000), lot 118. Private collection
Chris Ofili
Spaceshit, 1995, oil on linen with resin, pins and elephant dung.
Sold at Christie's New York on 15 November 2001 for $82,250 (est $80,000-$120,000), lot 311
Jonathan Parsons
Carcass, 1995. Sculpture w/dissected map in acrylic case.
Sold for £7,050, (est £7,000-£10,000) at Christie’s London on 27 June 2001, lot 95
Fiona Rae
Untitled (Sky Shout), 1997, oil and acrylic on canvas.
Private collection
Untitled (Blue and Purple Triptych), 1994, oil on canvas.
Offered for sale at Christie’s New York on 15 May 2002, lot 324, est $25,000-$35,000. Bought in. Private Collection.
Untitled (Purple and Brown), 1991, oil and charcoal on canvas.
Private collection
Untitled (One on Brown), 1989, oil on canvas.
Sold for £8,812 (est £8,000-£10,000) at Christie’s London on 27 June 2001, lot 59.
Private collection.
James Rielly
Random Acts of Kindness, 1996, oil on canvas.
Sold at Christie’s London on 8 February 2002 for £21,737 (est £12,000-£18,000), lot 245.
Private collection.
Richard Patterson
Blue Minotaur, 1996, oil on canvas.
Sold by Timothy Taylor Gallery
Jenny Saville
Trace, 1993-94, oil on canvas.
Private collection
Hybrid, 1997, oil on canvas.
Private collection
Shift, 1996-97, oil on canvas.
Private collection
Sam Taylor-Wood
Five Revolutionary Seconds I, 1995, colour photograph.
Private collection
Wrecked, 1996, C-type colour print.
Private collection
Rachel Whiteread
Untitled (Orange Bath), 1996, rubber, polystyrene.
Sold by Haunch of Venison. Private collection
Cerith Wyn Evans
Inverse Reverse Perverse, 1996, surface mirrored acrylic.
Private collection
Where Are They Now?
Mark Wallinger
Angel, 1997, video/laserdisk
Gillian Wearing
10-16, 1997, video.
Offered for sale at Christie’s London on 27 June 2001, lot 46, est £30,000-£35,000. Bought in
Glenn Brown
Dali-Christ, 1992, oil on canvas
Mat Collishaw
Bullet Hole, 1988-93, cibachrome mounted on 15 light boxes
Chris Ofili
Afrobluff, 1996, acrylic paint, oil paint, paper collage, polyester resin, map pins, elephant dung on linen
Hadrian Pigott
Instrument of Hygiene (Case i), 1995, fibreglass, leatheret covering, velvet lining, with wash basin and fittings
Marc Quinn
The Morphology of Specifics, 1996, glass and silver
Rachel Whiteread
Untitled (Bath), 1990, plaster and glass;
Untitled (Square Sink), 1990, plaster