Well Spotted

Controlled Substances Key Spot Print, 2011

Yesterday evening I made it to the very popular turn out that was the opening of new work by Damien Hirst at Other Criteria’s New Bond Street outpost. Spot Prints sees twelve new prints by silkscreen and woodblock processes – the woodblock prints being my personal favourites, with their raised texture on paper – in the now familiar spectrum of colour that has awarded Hirst iconic status since 1986. 

S-Lactoylglutathione, 2011

With this new series, Hirst explores elimination and fragmentation - spots are halved and portions are shifted – the works remain fresh, intriguing and if yesterday night was anything to go by, they certainly do not fall into the once-you've-seen-one-you've-seen-them-all category. Even if they did, now would not be the time to cry ennui. For tomorrow will see the launch of The Complete Spot Paintings 1986-2011, a global exhibition at each of Gagosian Gallery’s eleven locations around the world. In a first of its kind, 300 works will be dispatched to the haute exhibition spaces of the Gagosian Empire and shall display the artist’s spot canvases in what will be the most expensive single-artist exhibition to date.

Have air miles you don’t know what to do with? Gagosian is offering an original Damien Hirst Spot print for Pop art aficionados who manage to visit all eleven gallery locations within the month run – click here to register for The Complete Spot Challenge.

Upcoming global exhibitions on the Gagosian website

This interesting concept is only the beginning of what will be an important year for Hirst. 2012 sees the first major museum retrospective in the United Kingdom at Tate Modern in April, which will run over a period when London and the rest of the country will have the eyes of the world upon it and the best of British will be at the forefront during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and Olympic Games’ festivities. So if you think you’ve seen it all, you haven’t seen anything yet.

Spot Prints
10th January – 14th February 2012
Other Criteria

36 New Bond Street

London W1S 2RP

The Complete Spot Paintings 1986-2011
12 th January – 18th February 2012
Gagosian Gallery

Damien Hirst at Tate Modern

4th April - 9th September 2012