Untitled Spot B

About This Work

Damien Hirst's "Untitled Spot B," a print from the year 2025, stands as a testament to his enduring fascination with systems, repetition, and the boundaries between art and science. As a seminal figure in the Young British Artists movement, Hirst's oeuvre is marked by a distinct approach that marries the clinical with the conceptual. This print is part of his renowned 'Spot Paintings' series, which he began in 1986 and has become synonymous with his practice. The 'Spot Paintings' are characterized by their meticulous structure, comprising thousands of identically sized circles rendered in non-repeating color combinations. Executed by studio assistants following Hirst's specific criteria, these works blur the lines between the hand of the artist and the mechanized production of industry. "Untitled Spot B" follows this formulaic approach, presenting a composition that is visually arresting in its simplicity yet complex in its theoretical underpinnings. The stark regularity of the geometric arrangement serves as both a meditation on, and a challenge to, our traditional notions of creativity and authorship. In the broader context of Hirst's work, themes of mortality, faith, and value permeate his varying series, whether they be the frozen grandeur of 'The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living' or the reflective pharmaceutical aesthetics of the 'Medicine Cabinets.' However, the 'Spot Paintings' strip away overt thematic narratives, opting instead to confront viewers with pure visual stimulus, akin to scientific variables laid out on a sprawling chart. Through these ordered fields of color, Hirst investigates the intersection of aesthetics and the empirical, inviting reflection on how we perceive and ascribe significance to visual information. "Untitled Spot B" not only exemplifies Hirst's methodical approach to art-making but also underscores his persistent dialogue with the themes that have come to define his practice. By employing the print medium, Hirst extends his exploration of mass production and consumerist art, echoing ideas of replication and uniformity present in his other celebrated series. Within the Zebra One Gallery collection, "Untitled Spot B" enriches the dialogue between contemporary and historic practices, offering insight into how systematic repetition can evoke contemplation within our saturated visual culture.

About the Artist

Damien Hirst was born in 1965 in Bristol and grew up in Leeds. In 1984 he moved to London, where he worked in construction before studying for a BA in Fine Art at Goldsmiths college from 1986 to 1989. He was awarded the Turner Prize in 1995. Since the late 1980’s, Hirst has used a varied practise of...

Zebra One Gallery

Contemporary Art • Hampstead, London

Established 1976 • 50 years of excellence in contemporary art • Professional authentication and provenance research