Damien Hirst to auction off new Mickey Mouse spot painting

Damien Hirst has paid Walt Disney the ultimate compliment by creating a new painting of Mickey Mouse done in the style of the artist’s spot paintings.

The provocative British artist unveiled his “Mickey” painting on his official website Wednesday, saying that the work will be offered for sale at a Christie’s auction in London in February to benefit Kids Company, a British charity that provides assistance for youth.

Hirst’s website stated that the artist made the “Mickey” painting at “the invitation of Disney.” The painting depicts the popular cartoon character in his recognizable red shorts and yellow shoes -- though the character has been rendered as a series of 12 dots of varying size and color.

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“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 wrote on his site.

“I hope people love it, because it is still instantly recognisable -- Mickey is such a universal and powerful icon.”

“Mickey” is scheduled to be sold during Christie’s Post War and Contemporary Art auction in February in London. The painting is set to go on public view at the auction house starting Feb. 8.

In 2012, Hirst mounted a global exhibition of “The Complete Spot Paintings,” which took place at Gagosian galleries around the world simultaneously.

Some of Hirst’s most famous works include the body of a shark preserved in formaldehyde, a human skull encrusted with diamonds and the bodies of a cow and calf sliced in half.

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