Benzyl Viologen
Benzyl Viologen
Signed Print
Damien Hirst
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Medium: Woodcut
Edition size: 55
Year: 2011
Size: H 36cm x W 36cm
Signed: Yes
Format: Signed Print
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Meaning & Analysis
Benzyl Viologen is a woodcut print from Damien Hirst’s 40 Woodcut Spots series. Showing four rows of spots identical in size and shape, this square composition is an example of Hirst’s fascination with exploring colour. Each spot is a different colour and every print in the series represents a unique set of colour combinations.
The 40 Woodcut Spots series is reminiscent of a vast body of work in Hirst’s oeuvre that has become iconic to his name. There are over 1000 spot paintings in existence, dating from 1988 to 2011, where Hirst has produced an average of 60 spot paintings a year. The grid formula for these paintings is the basis for an endless series where Hirst can infinitely explore harmonious and contrasting colour combinations.
Fascinated by intuitive colour choice from his days at Goldsmiths, Hirst claims that the spot paintings have removed any problems he previously had with colour, allowing him to present a perfect arrangement of colour that is never repeated. Hirst in 2000 remarked on the impact of an installation of multiple spot paintings, “it’s an assault on your senses. They grab hold of you and give you a good shaking. As adults, we’re not used to it. It’s an amazing fact that all objects leap beyond their own dimension.”
Damien Hirst, born in Bristol in 1965, is often hailed the enfant terrible of the contemporary art world. His provocative works challenge conventions and his conceptual brilliance spans installations, paintings, and sculptures, often exploring themes of mortality and the human experience. As a leading figure of the Young British Artists (YBA) movement in the late '80s, Hirst's work has dominated the British art scene for decades and has become renowned for being laced with controversy, thus shaping the dialogue of modern art.
