Damien Hirst, H5-5 Raffles, 2018

Diasec-mounted Giclée print on aluminum panel

35.5 x 35.5 in | 90 x 90 cm

Ed of 100

Damien Hirst’s ‘Raffles’ from his ‘Colour Space’ (H5, 2018) series is an enveloping work which reverberates incessantly with life and joy. Named for the luxury hotel in Singapore, the present facsimile is derived from an original painting belonging to the ‘Colour Space’ series (2016). Breaking down the logic of his ‘Spot Paintings’, these works champion imperfection and chance.

The spots in ‘Raffles’ float against a white background and were coloured at random using a palette ranging from a deep and powerful red to a purple so pale it practically fades into the background. At times bouncing into each other or overlapping, these spots cover and apparently exceed the picture plane, alluding to its continuation outside the confines of the visual field. Together, the varying colours and random arrangements unintentionally create optical illusions of swirling and circular patterns.

Notably, ‘Raffles’ is part of a subsection of the series in which the spots are enlarged as if zoomed in under a microscope. With the intricacies of these spots on full display, some spots appear to have thicker layers of paint than others, presenting an undeniable sense of tactility. This view also highlights the Pollock-like paint splatters, rendered in their joyful colours and emphasising the overarching air of spontaneity in the present work.