Name: Catherine Wheel
Brand: Damien Hirst
Rating: 5 (231 reviews)

Meaning & Analysis

Catherine Wheel is an etching from 2002, taken from Damien Hirst’s second volume of his In A Spin, The Action Of The World Upon Things portfolio. The etching shows concentric circles that appear to have been scratched onto the print’s surface, with some less controlled wiry lines overlain on top. Hirst’s signature, the print date and title can faintly be seen inscribed into the surface of the etching, following the curving lines of the circles.

The In A Spin, The Action Of The World Upon Things portfolio is a variation on Hirst’s spin paintings, created with a spin machine in his studio onto which a circular canvas is attached and paint is thrown. This series of etchings were created using the same spin machine but with copper plates attached and sharp tools used to draw the concentric lines.

Many of the prints in this series have unusual names inspired by the rotating machine used to create the prints and other circular objects. This print is named after what is called a breaking wheel, which is an instrument of torturous execution, associated with Saint Catherine of Alexandra. Indicative of Hirst’s enthusiasm for contemporary music, Catherine Wheel was also a British alternative rock band from the 1990s, and the artist has also taken inspiration from this for the name of this print.