How to Authenticate a
Damien Hirst Spin Painting:
Real vs Fake - Warning Signs
Authenticating a Damien Hirst Spin Painting requires more than comparing a signature or a single detail. This guide focuses on the Making Art event held at the PinchukArtCentre in 2009 and is based on a comparative examination of documented reference artworks, historical records, contemporary photographs and publicly available information relating to the original event.
Its purpose is to present the production characteristics most consistently observed in documented examples, together with the major warning signs collectors should consider before purchasing or assessing a Damien Hirst Spin Painting.
Figure 1. Damien Hirst applying paint to a participant's Heart Spin Painting during the Making Art event at the PinchukArtCentre (2009). Contemporary photographs from the event provide documentary evidence that complements the comparative observations presented in this guide.
What This Guide Covers
✔ The documented production characteristics consistently observed in Damien Hirst Spin Paintings.
✔ The major collector red flags identified through comparative examination.
✔ The differences between documented reference examples and inconsistent production characteristics.
✔ The limitations of visual assessment and when professional authentication should be considered.
What Makes These Damien Hirst Spin Paintings Unique?
In April 2009, Damien Hirst invited visitors to take part in Making Art, an interactive project held at the PinchukArtCentre in Kyiv as part of the exhibition Requiem. Rather than purchasing a finished artwork, participants created their own Spin Painting under the artist's supervision by applying paint to pre-prepared paper mounted on rotating machines.
Unlike traditional editions, every Spin Painting produced during the event is unique. Variations in colour, paint distribution and composition are an inherent part of the creative process. At the same time, the artworks were produced following a consistent production process, resulting in a number of recurring physical characteristics shared across documented examples.
These recurring characteristics form the basis of this guide. By comparing documented artworks with historical documentation, contemporary photographs and other publicly available records relating to the event, it is possible to identify production features that appear consistently, as well as other characteristics that deserve particular attention during a preliminary assessment.
Understanding these recurring production characteristics is the first step in assessing whether a Damien Hirst Spin Painting is consistent with documented examples from the original event.
Figure 2. Damien Hirst supervising participants during the Making Art event at the PinchukArtCentre, Kyiv (2009). Visitors created individual Spin Paintings using rotating machines under the artist's guidance.
Documented Production Characteristics
Documented Damien Hirst Spin Paintings display a number of recurring production characteristics resulting from the way the artworks were prepared and produced during the Making Art event at the PinchukArtCentre in 2009. While every Spin Painting is unique in its colours and composition, many physical production features remain remarkably consistent across documented reference examples.
This section presents the principal production characteristics identified through the comparative examination of documented artworks, supported by historical documentation, contemporary photographs and publicly available records relating to the original event. The characteristics are presented according to their comparative value, allowing collectors to focus first on the observations that provide the most meaningful guidance during a preliminary assessment.
The Studio Blindstamp
The studio blindstamp is one of the most consistent production characteristics observed across the documented reference corpus.
The important identification feature is the blindstamp design itself. The documented reference corpus consistently shows the same HIRST character design. The impression may appear upright, inverted or reversed depending on how the blindstamp was applied and whether it is viewed from the front or reverse of the artwork. These differences are not, by themselves, relevant to authentication.
For collectors, the key point is therefore simple: the orientation of the impression is not the identifying feature — the design and character construction of the HIRST blindstamp are.
A blindstamp displaying a markedly different typeface, character construction or overall design should be considered a Major Collector Red Flag when assessing a Damien Hirst Spin Painting.
Version A. Authentic Damien Hirst blind stamp featuring on the 2009 Kiev exhibition Spin Paintings. This impression represents the only authenticated and artist-approved stamp associated with this edition.
Version B. Earlier variation of the Damien Hirst blind stamp, historically used on specific previous editions. It is not valid for the Spin Paintings series. Any work from this series carrying this stamp is not recognized as authentic by current authentication standards.
The Reverse Ink Stamp
The reverse ink stamp is another recurring production characteristic found on documented Damien Hirst Spin Paintings from the Making Art event.
Across the documented reference corpus, the stamp appears in several documented configurations, including variations in the printed date information and the position of the signature within the stamp. These configurations are part of the observed production record and should not be confused with differences caused by individual artworks.
The quality and typography of the ink impression are particularly important. Documented examples generally show a relatively fine and clearly defined stamp impression. Markedly thick, pasty or diffuse impressions are uncommon within the documented reference corpus and therefore deserve particular attention.
The typography and relative positioning of the different elements within the stamp can also provide useful comparative evidence. Differences that appear minor at first sight can become significant when examined across a larger group of documented examples.
A markedly different ink-stamp appearance, particularly when combined with other inconsistent production characteristics, should be considered a Major Collector Red Flag.
Original Damien Hirst reverse ink stamps. All authentic impressions feature clean, fine lines without heavy ink buildup, alongside precise letter spacing and dedicated areas for handwritten inscriptions.
Versions A and B represent the primary standard marks used during the official public opening days.
Version C is a rare pre-opening variant reserved for early preview days; it features an open 'on [blank]' format, allowing both the date and signature to be inscribed manually.
Forged reverse ink stamp, officially reported as unauthenticated. Unlike genuine examples, this impression displays heavy ink buildup, distorted typographic spacing, and imprecise linework. Any artwork bearing this stamp fails authentication standards and is strictly considered non-genuine.
The Pre-Cut Paper Shapes
The shape of the paper is an important production characteristic of the Making Art Spin Paintings.
The documented reference corpus shows a defined group of recurring pre-cut silhouettes used during the Kyiv event. These include Asterix, Butterfly, Circle, Heart, House, Rocket, Saturn, Shark, Skull, Star and Gun, as well as the Heart with rectangular matrix configuration.
Because these shapes were prepared as part of the production process, their geometry and cutting characteristics provide useful evidence when assessing an individual artwork.
The overall silhouette should correspond to one of the documented forms, while the proportions, contours and cutting quality should also be consistent with the reference examples. An unusual shape, materially different proportions, or cutting characteristics that do not correspond to the documented examples should be considered a Major Collector Red Flag.
This is particularly important because the shape is not simply a matter of artistic variation: it is a physical characteristic of how the artwork was prepared before the paint was applied.
Damien Hirst’s Signature
A Damien Hirst signature is found on only a minority of the documented Spin Paintings from the Making Art event.
When present, it may appear on the reverse of the artwork and, more rarely, on the front.
Because the signature was not an inherent part of the production process and is absent from most documented examples, the presence or absence of a Damien Hirst signature should not be used on its own to determine authenticity.
When a signature is present, however, it can provide additional comparative evidence. Its characteristics should be compared with documented Hirst signatures, taking into account the writing instrument, line quality, proportions, letter formation and overall execution.
A signature that presents significant inconsistencies with documented examples should be treated as a supporting red flag, particularly when other production characteristics are also inconsistent.
Comparative analysis of two Damien Hirst signatures from the Spin Paintings series.
The first image displays an authentic signature, characterized by natural fluidity and precise strokes. The second image illustrates a counterfeit signature, clearly distinguishable by its heavy, clumsy linework and unnatural stroke weight. Artworks bearing this second signature are unauthenticated.
Conclusion
This guide has focused on the most visible and readily comparable characteristics of Damien Hirst Spin Paintings from the Making Art event. These observations can help collectors form a first opinion when considering a work for purchase or carrying out an initial examination.
However, the characteristics discussed here represent only part of the evidence that can be considered. The production process itself created many additional features that can be examined comparatively. The speed and direction of the paint's movement during rotation, for example, can influence the way the paint flows and settles across the sheet. These physical characteristics can provide useful evidence when comparing an artwork with documented examples. Some later-made examples appear to have been produced using digitally reproduced imagery and therefore do not exhibit the physical characteristics resulting from the original spinning process.
The reverse of the artwork can also provide important information. An unusually clean, uniformly white reverse, for example, may deserve attention when considered alongside the other characteristics of the work. Similarly, the presence of a participant's handwritten name or date can provide additional information and may support the reconstruction of the production history. However, handwritten inscriptions are not proof of authenticity, and examples with handwritten names can also present other inconsistencies.
Ultimately, the value of a preliminary assessment comes from considering multiple characteristics together. A single feature may provide useful information, while several independent observations pointing in the same direction can provide a much stronger basis for concern. Conversely, an apparently convincing feature should not automatically outweigh contradictory evidence elsewhere on the artwork.
This is precisely where professional authentication becomes important. At IAAB, the purpose of an examination is to compare the artwork as a whole with documented reference material and to assess the consistency of its physical, documentary and stylistic characteristics. The objective is not simply to determine whether an artwork looks convincing at first sight, but to examine the evidence that may confirm or challenge that initial impression.
A Spin Painting should not be judged by how convincing it looks at first sight, but by how consistently its characteristics correspond to the documented evidence.