Hirst's Iconic Spots

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Damien Hirst
N-Methyl L-Aspartic Acid, 2011
Signed and numbered in pencil
Screenprint
Sheet: 60 x 55 cm
Framed: 62 x 57 cm
Edition of 150
 
Hirst began making his notorious Spot Paintings in 1988 and has created graphic variations of them in a variety of different print media. Instantly recognisable to a global audience, they are among his most sought-after works. No summary of contemporary art is complete without one.

Combining a harmonious palette with an ominous adherence to a regimented formula, they are shot through with tension. They appear as parts of an endless series, both joyful and unnerving. Most are given titles drawn from a catalogue of biochemical and diagnostic reagents, drawing attention to our reliance upon drugs and medical practices that we don't fully understand. The repetition of spots can be seen in the sinister context of dependency and addiction.

L-Aspartic acid is an amino acid produced by the body and used to build proteins. The incomplete spots along the right edge can be seen as a reference to this process of growth and the infinite repetition of the spot motif itself.
 

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September 21, 2022
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