Damien Hirst’s ‘Spots’: ubiquitous in the contemporary art market, with no corner of the globe unreached by him as an artist and no city that hasn’t exhibited his work. Befitting therefore that 11 galleries worldwide are simultaneously showing over two decades' worth of his Spot Paintings.
They are as recognisable an artistic motif as you are likely to find in recent art history and in celebration of, and to acknowledge, the global importance of the Hirst brand, all 11 Gagosian galleries around the globe are simultaneously showing a selection of his Spot Paintings – a theme he's pursued for quarter of a century.
The Gagosian calls its multi-shows The Complete Spot Paintings 1986-2011 and the total number on display at their three galleries in New York, two in London and the others in Los Angeles, Paris, Rome, Athens, Geneva and Hong Kong is around 300.
They range from the huge canvas to the tiny one, from paintings of one or even half-a-spot to a giant canvas with 25,781 one-millimetre spots, all of them different from each other. There are round canvases, square ones, rhomboid and seemingly, every other shape known to science and each precisely painted (although famously not by Mr. Hirst of course).
The original intention of this world unveiling was to show the works bought by private collectors and public galleries in each region as an imperial display of the reach and fame of Damien Hirst as an international superstar.
It’s worked too. The whole world is ostensibly talking about Damien Hirst and his spots, especially in London given the forthcoming retrospective at Tate Modern and the focus on Britain and British exports due to the Olympics.
To coincide with the exhibition and in the lead up to the Tate retrospective we have a wide collection of spot editions available ranging from past sold out etchings, to newly released wood cuts.
Click here for all our Spot Editions.
If you are interested in the work of Damien Hirst and would like further information on the editions we have available or for more information on other works or artists available through the gallery please call +44 (0)20 7240 7909 or email soho@artrepublic.com
Image Credits: © Damien Hirst/ Science Ltd, 2012 Photography Prudence Cuming Associates
