301 - Aminobenzoyl Hydrazide, 2008

"Aminobenzoyl Hydrazide" is a household gloss on canvas painting created by Damien Hirst in 2008. The artwork is signed, titled and dated 'Damien Hirst "Aminobenzoyl Hydrazide" 2008' on verso. Further signed along the stretcher and stamped and labeled by Science. The artwork ships framed in a contemporary white frame and has a framed size of 86.5 x 91".

Damien Hirst (b. 1965) stands as one of the most influential and provocative figures in contemporary art. A central member of the Young British Artists (YBAs) who emerged in London in the late 1980s and 1990s, Hirst redefined the possibilities of artistic practice by combining conceptual rigor with striking visual spectacle. From his preserved animals in formaldehyde to his cabinets of pharmaceuticals, Hirst’s work has consistently explored themes of mortality, beauty, science, and belief.

Among his most recognizable and enduring contributions are the “Spot Paintings”, a series begun in 1986 and expanded over decades into one of the most systematic investigations of color and seriality in modern art. “Aminobenzoyl Hydrazide” (2008) belongs to this celebrated body of work and is illustrated in “The Complete Spot Paintings 1986–2011,” the definitive catalog of the series.

Begun in 1986, Hirst’s Spot Paintings have become an iconic symbol of contemporary art. 'I started them as an endless series, a scientific approach to painting in a similar way to the drug companies' scientific approach to life. Art doesn't purport to have all the answers; the drug companies do. Hence the title of the series, the Pharmaceutical Paintings, and the individual titles of the paintings themselves.' (D. Hirst, quoted in D. Hirst, I want to spend the rest of my life everywhere, with everyone, one to one, always, forever, now , London 1997, p. 246). In fact, works such as Aminobenzoyl Hydrazide” are named after the pharmaceutical stimulants and narcotics listed in the book “Biochemicals Organic Compounds for Research and Diagnostic Reagents” published by the chemical company Sigma-Aldrich which Hirst came across in the 1990s.

Executed in household gloss on canvas and measuring a commanding 62 x 86 inches, this work is an exemplary large-scale “Spot Painting.” The composition comprises 16 vertical rows and 22 horizontal rows of perfectly spaced multicolored circles laid out against a pristine white ground. Each spot is uniform in size but distinct in hue — a meticulous array that reflects both aesthetic pleasure and conceptual discipline.

The “Spot Paintings” are more than decorative exercises in pattern. For Hirst, they are an inquiry into infinity, perfection, and industrial process. Despite the apparent simplicity, these works are designed to be free of brushstrokes and human error, their precise surfaces evoking the promise of science to control and systematize experience. At the same time, each color is unique, reminding us of the irreducible individuality hidden within any system of classification. In Hirst’s own words: “I wanted to find a way to make painting feel like it was a machine and not made by hand… But the way the colors work, the way they interact, creates endless possibilities.” This tension—between mechanical neutrality and sensory exuberance—lies at the heart of the “Spot Paintings’” power. They are at once coolly systematic and joyously alive.

Few series have achieved such instant recognizability. The “Spot Paintings” are to Hirst what the soup cans are to Warhol or the stacks are to Donald Judd: a signature form that encapsulates the artist’s vision. More than decoration, this work is an emblem of our era’s faith in systems, technology, and the allure of perfect surfaces. It invites reflection on how we search for meaning in repetition and how color can be both rational and ecstatic.