Billy Mill roundabout (In a Spin, the Action of the World on Things, Volume I), 2002

From a set of  23 spin works titled  "In a Spin, the Action of the World on Things, Volume I, 2002."

In a Spin, the Action of the World on Things, Volume I, 2002 is a distinguished set of 23 etchings by Damien Hirst, published by The Paragon Press. This series represents Hirst’s pioneering effort to translate his innovative Spin Paintings into the printmaking medium.

Since the mid-1990s, Damien Hirst has explored abstraction by pouring paint onto rotating canvases attached to a spin machine. In a Spin, the Action of the World on Things, Volume I marks his first attempt to adapt this spinning technique to etching. For this series, Hirst attached copper plates to the spinning machine and used needles, screwdrivers, and other sharp tools to create dynamic, abstract patterns. The concentric-circle format of the prints and the portfolio’s title were inspired by a long-exposure photograph of the night sky, capturing the stars in an abstract arrangement.

The etchings were made in London in 2002 and printed on 350gsm Hahnemühle paper. Each piece in this series was proofed and editioned at Hope (Sufferance) Press, London, under the imprint of Charles Booth-Clibborn's The Paragon Press. The portfolio exemplifies Hirst’s exploration of chance and randomness, pushing the limits of traditional etching techniques.

In a Spin, the Action of the World on Things, Volume I is not only a significant body of work in Hirst’s career but also a key addition to the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, showcasing his ability to blend technical innovation with conceptual depth.