Spots

Since 1986, Damien Hirst has produced over 1,000 spot paintings. The dots, which may appear machine-made but are each done by hand, celebrate technical precision and the simple joys of color. Hirst’s spots follow a number of specific rules: The spots must be uniform in size, hand-painted in a perfect circle, and positioned in a grid. Almost always, every spot in a work will be a different color (and the spots are rarely black). “I...wanted to create a system where whatever decisions you make within a painting, the paintings end up happy,” explains Hirst. In 2012, the artist invited viewers to chase this sense of joy, challenging them to visit over 200 spot paintings exhibited across the world in each of Gagosian Gallery’s locations.