Wheel Within A Wheel

Hirst’s original spin paintings were produced with a rotating canvas attached to a spin machine, onto which he poured paint. The In A Spin, The Action Of The World Upon Things portfolio of etchings was produced in a similar fashion, with copper plates attached to the machine with the spiral lines drawn with needles, screwdrivers, and other sharp tools as they spun. The process of creating these works became a performance-like ritual that continued for numerous days.

The title of this print refers to lyrics from the song Windmills of Your Mind by Sting. Hirst has had an enduring enthusiasm for popular contemporary music throughout his career, once claiming that the Beatles have been more influential on his work than Picasso. Indeed, the circular patterns that form the basis of this series are reminiscent of grooved vinyl LPs and the scratching of the patterns onto the copper plates could be likened to the stylus on a record player.