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.
This context is particularly relevant in this piece. Valium is a notoriously addictive substance that can have ruinous effects upon the physical, emotional and psychological health of the patient if used for too long. The tension inherent in the spot artworks achieves its brilliantly ironic apotheosis in this piece. Freed from the constraints of the grid and arranged in a joyous circular motif, the spots here are simultaneously a giddy celebration and a danse macabre, a display of limitless potential already laced with the seeds of its ruin. It's the very rhythm of life itself, as embraced by Hirst.
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