Claridges – H5-4

‘It’s a surface that moves’, said Damien Hirst of the energy behind the spots present in ‘Claridges’ (2018). The present facsimile, a high-quality diasec-mounted giclée print on aluminium panel, is derived from an original painting from the ‘Colour Space’ series (2016). Building on his iconic spot motif, ‘Colour Space’ undoes the pristine spots strictly allocated into grids in Hirst’s ‘Spots’, advocating instead for imperfection and vitality produced through chance.

Across a white background imperfectly proportioned and vibrantly coloured spots float, at times bouncing into each other and overlapping. The present work is a particularly intriguing example from the series as the spots, which span and surpass the picture plane, are enlarged, implying that ‘Claridges’ is a zoomed in section of a larger work. The resulting composition both offers a closer study of the fundamental forms and emphasises their movement.

The spots in ‘Claridges’, which were painted at random, unintentionally form an overall composition full of swirling and circling patterns. Individually, however, each spot reveals varying thicknesses of paint, some even appear to shimmer as if still wet. This freshness is complimented by the Pollock-like paint splatters which adds a distinct air of dynamism and spontaneity to the work.