NEW YORK.- British artist Damien Hirst stated some of his works were “silly” and “embarrassing”.

Damien Hirst stated, "Certainly everything you make is not a masterpiece. I think the shark's obviously an important piece. I think it just needs a bit of love and attention".

The Gagosian Gallery in New york just opened the exhibition Damien Hirst: The Elusive Truth, on view through April 23, 2005. The show will be comprised of approximately thirty paintings, which have been completed over the past three years. This exhibition, Hirst’s first in New York since 2000, signals a new direction in his work.

Hirst’s 2004 exhibitions include his first survey exhibition, "The Agony and the Ecstacy," at Museo Archelogico Nazionale, Naples, and "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida: Fairhurst, Hirst and Lucas," at Tate Britain, London. "Damien Hirst: From the Cradle to the Grave, Selected Drawings" was also published in 2004. It presents an important selection of drawings and sketches spanning Hirst’s entire career.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a large-format catalogue that highlights 24 paintings featured in the current New York exhibition. Measuring 18 x 12 inches, the book will include full-color reproductions on hand-tipped in plates, a raised plastic cover displaying the painting "Two Pills" (2004), an essay by J. G. Ballard and dye-cut windows that highlight details of the paintings. Additionally, Damien Hirst has written or selected texts that will accompany each painting throughout the catalogue.