Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Damien Hirst Print Index
Pressure
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Pressure is a 2017 silkscreen from Hirst's 'Eat the Rich' series, published by Other Criteria in an edition of 150, signed and numbered, at 40 by 30 inches (1016 by 762 mm). The print reproduces pharmaceutical packaging with the tablet's brand name replaced by the word 'Pressure', a term that reads as both physical force and psychological strain.
Collector notes: The saved release record describes: Edition of 150. The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.
Why It Matters
Pressure is among the more ambiguous titles in the suite, hovering between bodily and mental connotations, which broadens the series' commentary on stress and the medical industry that answers it. The clean, reassuring design of the mock packaging heightens the unease, embodying Hirst's interest in how minimalist forms project competence and calm.
Collector Perspective
Pressure works as a subtle standalone image and as one of twelve sheets sought for a complete set. At an edition of 150, collectors should target a signed, numbered impression with even ink and clean edges. Its dual-meaning title makes it a thoughtful inclusion for collectors drawn to the series' conceptual layering rather than pure shock value.
Historical Context
Published by Other Criteria in 2017, Pressure continues the appropriated-packaging approach of Hirst's Last Supper screenprints. Rooted in the Medicine Cabinets that opened his career, the series frames pharmaceutical design as a language of authority, where the promise of relief is inseparable from the design that delivers it.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned screenprint
- Release date
- 2017
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Medium and materials
- Screen Print; catalog dimensions 40 x 30 inches; Silkscreen print; 'Eat the Rich' is a new series of twelve screenprints that depicts pharmaceutical packaging in which the tablet's brand name has been replaced by a word implying violence or force; Similar to the thirteen-part 'Last Supper' screenprints, 'Eat the Rich' illustrates the artist's "obsession with the body" and the medical industry attached to it, in which confidence is exuded through minimalist designs that perpetuate "the modernist fantasy […] that everyone and everything can be cured.".
- Edition details
- The saved release record describes: Edition of 150.
- 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: Published by Other Criteria in 2017, Pressure continues the appropriated-packaging approach of Hirst's Last Supper screenprints. 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 2017 and attributes the edition to Other Criteria. The saved description also notes: Published by Other Criteria.
Authentication, Presentation and Provenance
- Original presentation
- The saved release description references: 'Eat the Rich' is a new series of twelve screenprints that depicts pharmaceutical packaging in which the tablet's brand name has been replaced by a word implying violence or force. Confirm any original sleeve, tube, box, or backing board copy by copy.
- 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 word replaces the brand name?
The brand name is replaced by the word 'Pressure'.
What is the edition size?
It was issued in an edition of 150, each signed and numbered.
Who published Pressure?
It was published by Other Criteria in 2017.
What series is it part of?
It belongs to the twelve-part 'Eat the Rich' screenprint series.
