Damien Hirst, H5-4 Claridges, 2018

Diasec-mounted Giclée print on aluminum panel

35.5 x 35.5 in | 90 x 90 cm

Ed of 100

“It’s a surface that moves”, said Damien Hirst of his spot motif, a sentiment that evokes the energy of the facsimile print ‘Claridges’ from his ‘Colour Space’ (H5, 2018) series. Named for the luxurious London hotel, ‘Claridges’ is derived from an original painting belonging to the 2016 ‘Colour Space’ series. These works undo the pristine spots strictly allocated into grids in Hirst’s ‘Spots Paintings’ (begun in 1986), advocating instead for imperfection and vitality produced through chance.

Across a white background float imperfectly shaped and vibrantly coloured spots, at times bouncing into each other and overlapping. The spots, which span and apparently surpass the picture plane, are enlarged, implying that ‘Claridges’ is a zoomed in section of a greater field of spots. The resulting composition both offers a closer study of the fundamental forms and emphasises their movement.

The spots in ‘Claridges’, which were painted at random, unintentionally form an overall composition full of swirling and circling patterns. Each spot reveals varying thicknesses of paint and some seem to shimmer as if still wet, creating a unique sense of tactility which is maintained within the printed format. This freshness is complimented by the Pollock-like paint splatters which adds a distinct air of dynamism and spontaneity to the work.