Damien Hirst is known around the world for his spin paintings: bright bursts of colour that spread out from the middle of the paper in rays and rings. On Thursday 19th November, from 5pm to 8pm, Creed Gallery in Ascot is showing a collection of Damien Hirst spin paintings, and everyone is welcome. Entry is free. This page also explains what a spin painting is, how it is made, and what to check before you buy one.
Damien Hirst spin paintings exhibition in Ascot
The works in this exhibition are heart-shaped and butterfly-shaped spin paintings from 2009, made in connection with Hirst's Requiem exhibition at the PinchukArtCentre in Kyiv. Each is framed in white and hung together, so you can compare the colours and the marks side by side. Hearts and butterflies are two of the images Hirst returns to most often, and in a spin painting you can see exactly how the paint travelled.
What: Damien Hirst spin paintings
When: Thursday 19th November, 5pm to 8pm
Where: Creed Gallery, 4 Hermitage Parade, Ascot, SL5 7HE
Entry: Free
Click here to register your place, or contact the gallery if you would like to ask about a particular work.
What is a Damien Hirst spin painting?
A spin painting is made by putting a canvas or sheet of paper on a spinning surface and pouring or throwing paint onto it. As the surface turns, the paint is pushed outwards by centrifugal force and spreads into radiating bands and circles. Because the paint behaves slightly differently each time, no two spin paintings are the same.
How are Hirst's spin paintings made?
The canvas is fixed to a motorised spinning platform and household gloss paint is poured onto it while it turns. Hirst has said that the children's spin art toy was a starting point for the idea. He is reported to have first experimented with spin art in 1992, at his studio in Brixton, and the first significant spin paintings date from the early 1990s. Early examples often carry titles that begin "Beautiful", followed by a string of descriptive words, and that naming habit continues today.
Who actually makes the spin paintings?
Many of Hirst's spin paintings are made by assistants working to his instructions, and he has never hidden this. He argues that the idea, the choice of colours and the decision to call the result art are the creative acts. This is worth knowing when you look at any Hirst work: the useful questions are how the individual piece was made, who made it and who signed it.
The War Child spin paintings, 1995
One well-documented group of spin paintings was made for charity. In 1995, for a War Child fundraiser organised by Brian Eno, Hirst made 250 spin paintings in a few hours, while the artist Patrick Hughes made 250 "ghost" paintings. Each work was numbered, stamped, dated and timed, and the paintings were sealed in boxes, so buyers did not know whether they were getting a Hirst or a Hughes.
Spin paintings at auction and in exhibitions
In 2008 Sotheby's in London sold new work by Hirst in Beautiful Inside My Head Forever, and the sale included numerous spin paintings. From 4th April to 9th September 2012, Tate Modern held a major survey of his career that included his spots and spins.
In 2009 the PinchukArtCentre in Kyiv opened Requiem, a major Hirst exhibition that ran from 25th April to 20th September. According to the centre, four spin painting machines were set up so that visitors could make their own spin paintings, and Hirst made spin paintings with visitors on the first Sunday and signed works.
Buying a Damien Hirst spin painting: what to check
Spin paintings can be unique works on paper or canvas, charity pieces made in large numbers, or prints that reproduce a spin design. They differ greatly in price. Before you buy one, check:
- what the work is (an original painting, a print or a reproduction) and how it was made;
- whether it is signed, who signed it, and where;
- the paperwork and certificate that come with it, and who it was bought from;
- its history, including where it has been shown or sold;
- its size, condition and how it is framed.
If you are looking for a Damien Hirst spin painting for sale in the UK, ask for the signature details, the certificate and the history of the piece in writing, and compare them with this checklist. At Creed Gallery we state this on each product page, and we are happy to talk through any piece with you before you decide.
Damien Hirst at Creed Gallery, Ascot
You can see Damien Hirst work in person at our gallery for visitors from Berkshire, Surrey and London. Our current spin painting is Beautiful, How Often The First-Ever Grand, Just Ready-To-Wear, Perfectly Serene. Click here to view the whole Damien Hirst collection, read our guide to who Damien Hirst is, or contact the gallery to arrange a visit or a private viewing.
