"I think an ashtray is the most fantastically real thing"

This quote by Damien Hirst talks to the concept of the mundane being elevated to something more. An ashtray is a typical, everyday item, but Hirst is suggesting that it can be seen as something moreover. He is suggesting that it can be seen as something exceptionally real, something that has a much deeper meaning and function. This might be interpreted as a commentary on the idea of art being more than simply a physical things, however something that has a much deeper meaning and function. It might likewise be interpreted as a commentary on the idea of beauty being discovered in the ordinary, which even the most regular objects can be seen as something special. Hirst's quote talks to the concept that beauty and significance can be discovered in the most unforeseen places, which even the most mundane things can be seen as something more.