IV: Polonium: Damien Hirst

Damien Hirst
IV: Polonium
From Poisons + Remedies (2010)
13 ¾ x 11 inches
Published by Gagosian Gallery & Other Criteria

Print (framed)

From Damien Hirst’s conceptual artist book Poisons + Remedies, Polonium (Plate IV) is a framed book print that encapsulates the artist’s fascination with invisible power and the language of toxicity. Deconstructed from the original 2010 volume and professionally framed to archival standards, this work offers a minimalist meditation on one of the most radioactive and lethal substances known to man.

Infamously used in high-profile poisonings, polonium is a substance that commands fear while remaining virtually undetectable—its very danger lies in its invisibility. Hirst’s use of stark typography and clean design allows the viewer to confront this reality in silence, stripped of sensationalism. Like the rest of the Poisons + Remedies series, Polonium is as much about what’s unsaid as what’s shown.

Framed and preserved in excellent condition, this 13 ¾ x 11 inch print is a powerful addition to any collection engaged with themes of mortality, minimalism, and the clinical aesthetics of modern science.