Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Damien Hirst Print Index
Benzyloxyurea (First edition)
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Benzyloxyurea is a 2012 woodcut on paper from Damien Hirst, published by Other Criteria in an edition of just 55. At 57.7 x 46.4 cm, it renders the artist's spot motif through carved wood blocks rather than silkscreen, giving the colour spots a distinctive relief-print character. Named after a chemical compound, the print is signed and numbered.
Collector notes: The saved release record describes: Edition of 55. The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.
Why It Matters
The woodcut spots are a rarer, more materially expressive strand of Hirst's spot output. Where silkscreens deliver flat, glazed colour, the wood-block process introduces the grain and physicality of relief printing. With only 55 impressions, Benzyloxyurea is markedly scarcer than the screenprinted spots, appealing to collectors focused on process and rarity.
Collector Perspective
An edition of 55 makes this one of the scarcer spot prints, and the woodcut medium sets it apart from the more common silkscreens. The relief surface has a tactile quality collectors of printmaking prize. Verify signature and numbering, and inspect the paper for the subtle impression of the wood block. Its compact size suits intimate or grouped hanging.
Historical Context
Hirst's spot paintings began in 1988 with the rule that no colour repeats within a work. Beyond the familiar silkscreens, Other Criteria produced spot editions in woodcut, a centuries-old relief technique that leaves the character of carved blocks in the print. Titles like Benzyloxyurea maintain the pharmaceutical-chemical naming that threads through the entire spot enterprise.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned print or object
- Release date
- 2012
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Medium and materials
- Woodcut; catalog dimensions 57.7 x 46.4 cm; Wood block print on paper.
- Edition details
- The saved release record describes: Edition of 55.
- Signature and marks
- The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.
Documented History and Meaning
History note: This page treats Damien Hirst's broader career as background context, not proof that this specific edition belongs to any single exhibition or event. Release-level facts here come from a saved secondary catalog record.
Meaning / interpretation: Read as documented context rather than stated intent: Hirst's spot paintings began in 1988 with the rule that no colour repeats within a work. This is an interpretive reading of the release context, not a statement of the artist's intent for this specific work. This interpretive note follows the cited artist or publisher context.
Release context: The saved catalog lists 2012 and attributes the edition to Other Criteria.
Authentication, Presentation and Provenance
- Original presentation
- Original packaging or presentation was not documented in the release sources reviewed.
- Authentication note
- Compare the support, dimensions, edition number, and signature against a documented example of this edition. Gauntlet Gallery does not authenticate works purchased from third parties.
- Provenance note
- Edition origin is attributed in the saved record to Other Criteria. That does not establish the ownership history of an individual copy: retain the original invoice, reseller or gallery paperwork, labels, correspondence, and condition photographs.
Sources and Verification
Verification status: Secondary catalog snapshot; artist-level context added
- Saved release record — Art Collectorz · secondary catalog snapshot · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Starting record for title, year, edition, dimensions, medium, and release description. Primary confirmation against the original release page remains pending.
- Damien Hirst — official site — Damien Hirst studio (Science Ltd.) · primary artist source · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Official artist site; career context, not an individual-edition record.
- Damien Hirst — Wikipedia · reference encyclopedia · Accessed 2026-07-13 · General artist-level biographical and career reference.
- Damien Hirst (Q294326) — Wikidata · reference knowledge base · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Structured identifier used for the artist across catalog metadata.
FAQ
What makes this print different from other spot prints?
It is a woodcut, a relief-print process, rather than the more common silkscreen, and its edition is only 55.
How large is the edition?
Benzyloxyurea was issued in an edition of 55, each signed and numbered.
What does the title refer to?
Benzyloxyurea is a chemical compound; Hirst names his spot works after chemical and pharmaceutical substances.
Why is it scarcer?
At 55 impressions, the woodcut edition is significantly smaller than the 100 to 150 runs of many silkscreen spots.
