Hirst tops list of art’s most influential

British artist Damien Hirst, perhaps best known for a startling work featuring a tiger shark preserved in a tank of formaldehyde, tops ArtReview’s annual Power 100 List of the most influential people in the art world.

On the highly subjective list, compiled by the London-based magazine for its November issue, Hirst jumped from last year’s ranking of 78, reflecting a growing demand for his work worldwide, according to the ArtReview website. Investor Steven A. Cohen of Greenwich, Conn., bought Hirst’s preserved shark for $8 million this year.

By taking first place, Hirst displaced his dealer, Larry Gagosian of New York, who fell to second place. French billionaire Francois Pinaut, owner of Christie’s International, was third.

Next on the list were Nicholas Serota, director of the United Kingdom’s Tate galleries; Glenn D. Lowry, director of New York’s Museum of Modern Art, and Los Angeles businessman and art collector Eli Broad.