Name: In A Spin
Brand: Damien Hirst
Rating: 5 (231 reviews)

Meaning & Analysis

In A Spin is an etching by Damien Hirst, produced in 2002. It is signed in the bottom left and titled in the top left. In A Spin depicts, in red and green, a spiral pattern emanating from the centre of the page outwards.

In A Spin is one of several works from Hirst’s wider In A Spin, The Action Of The World Upon Things collection. The collection consists of 37 prints exploring the theme of concentric circles. They are based on his spin paintings of 1995. This etching was produced in a similar way to those paintings. Copper plates were attached to a machine while needles and other sharp tools drew the spiral lines. The concept of The ‘Action of the World on Things’ came from a phrase that Hirst used in 1999. The later part of this series, including this etching explore at once, death and decay, in conjunction with ideas and life.

This etching, presents an uneven concentric pattern in brick red and bright green, and is indicative of Hirst’s interest in abstraction in the 1990s and early 2000s. This etching was produced on a rectangular etching plate. However, it may be compared to other works in the collection. For instance, his 2002 etching Wheel Meet Again suggests that Hirst was particularly interested, at this time, in using rectangular sheets. In both of these etchings the concentric circles extend beyond the border of the sheet.