apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Hi - the artist is Damien Hirst and I have also loved this print. It is called "Valium", which is pretty funny for a nursery! You can google the artist name and print and find information about it. They are pricey!

http://www.artnet.com/artwork/424505679/139/valium.html

http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?from=searchresults&pos=10&intObjectID=4771961&sid=460fd963-2af1-4bef-b215-22f57899cc79

yeah they are very pricey! i love this print as well... i wodner how hard it would be to diy something like this?

oops... wonder. not wodner.

Just use little stickers on a blank canvas. $30 max. And less if you use a 40 percent off coupon at Michael's!

Most Damien Hirst paintings like this one go for $10 million . This one is on the more famous side so would be worth a lot more.

Really interesting article in the NYTimes about the major collector of his work:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/magazine/01Brothers-t.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=damien%20hirst&st=cse

http://www.eyestorm.com/secondary_works/detail/Damien_Hirst/41667.html

here it is a little cheaper:)

and to add to cliodog's diy, you could also create this in a graphics software like photoshop.

You could start with this free download and work with Illustrator to recolor or adjust the pattern.

http://vector.tutsplus.com/freebies/vectors/circular-halftone-patterns/

To elaborate on my original comment, I pasted some notes below from the eyestorm website. The dot-series prints by Hirst were intended to be more affordable to the general public and were done in 500-quantity series. Since they were released in 2000, these have increased in price from their original offerings ($750-$3,000), but are still not in the ballpark of other Hirst originals.

From eyestorm website:


eyestorm, in continuing to make artworks by the world's most famous artists accessible to the mainstream market, has announced the launch of two new Damien Hirst spot prints, Opium and Lysergic Acid Diethylamide. These mark the completion of a series of three different images.

Damien Hirst's spot paintings have become iconic turn-of-the-millennium images, proving deeply influential to popular culture on a broad scale. But these paintings have previously only been available to serious collectors, selling for six-figure sums.

However these new prints, commissioned exclusively for eyestorm, represent the first time that Hirst's popular signature works have been made accessible to global consumers. They are the only spot images Hirst has produced as limited-edition prints, and are available from as little as $750 dollars.

The smaller of the two new prints is Opium, and retails at an addictive $750 dollars. The vast second print, Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, is as big as its name, measuring over four feet across and retailing at $3,000 dollars. These complete the series that was launched in May 2000 with the $1,500 dollar print, Valium. First time collectors - who had never before imagined owning an original Hirst - as well as certain, world famous art collectors, made Valium one of eyestorm's fastest-selling and most popular artworks.

"At eyestorm we strive to deliver exclusive work by the world's most sought after artists," said Don Smith, CEO of eyestorm. "Damien Hirst's completed series marks the first of its kind in any market, either online or offline. The success of Valium showed that there is a real appetite amongst consumers for artworks of this quality available at this price."

Damien Hirst said: "Working in conjunction with eyestorm I can bring artworks to as broad an audience as possible, and offer work at prices which are attainable by more people than ever before."

You can definitely make this yourself in Photoshop, and here's how:
1- Go to any of the links people posted of the piece and save the image to your computer
2- Open the image in Photoshop and under "Image" select "Image Size" and change the dimensions to 30" x 30" (or however big you want it) and 300 pixels per square inch
3- Choose an area to start in and zoom in to the image
4- Use the color picker to copy the color of one of the dots
5- Use the Ellipse Tool to make your own circle over the circle in the picture (hold down the shift key as you make the shape to keep the circle from becoming an oval)
6- Create a new layer (shortcut- Ctrl Shft N or Cmd Shft=N)
7- Repeat steps 4-6 for each circle in the picture. Try to move along the natural lines of the picture so you keep track of where you are.
8- When you're done, create a group for all of your layers and put them in there. Merge the group. Then, make a new photoshop doc that is 30"x30", 300 pix/inch and make the background white. Then go back to what you made and drag the merged group onto the new white canvas and center the image.

I started doing this and I've already done about 1/5 of the whole circle in about 1.5 hrs (over 300 little circles). When you're done take it to a printer and have them print it on nice paper and frame it. Or you can go somewhere where they print on a canvas.
It's really much easier than it sounds.

You can make it in Photoshop, and here’s how:
1- Save an image of the art from one of the sites people posted. Open the image in photoshop.
2- Under “Image” select “Image Size” and set the size to 30”x30” (or however big you want it) and 300 pixels per inch.
3- Select an area you want to start in and zoom in a lot.
4- Create a new layer (shortcut- Ctrl Shft N or on a Mac Cmmd Shft n)
5- Use the color picker to copy the color of the dot you want to start on
6- Use the Ellipse Tool to make a circle shape that completely covers the one on the art. Hold the Shift key while making the circle so it stays a circle and you can’t make an oval.
7- If the circle isn’t placed exactly right when you create it, use the Move button to center the circle.
8- Repeat steps 4-7 for every dot. You want to make each dot its own layer so if it’s not exactly centered on the dot on the art you can move it independently of the other dots you’ve made. When choosing your next dot, follow the natural curve of the lines so you keep track of where you are.
9- When you’re done create a Group in the Layers window. Merge the group.
10- Make a new Photoshop doc that is 30”x30” (or whatever you chose) and 300 pixels/inch. Make the background white. Drag the group of finished dots (from the layers window) from your original work into the new blank canvas. Center it.
11- Take your file to a printer and print it on nice paper and frame it.
It’s really much easier than it sounds. I started working on it tonight and in an hour and a half got about 1/5th of the way through (over 300 little dots). Once you get the hang of it it moves really quickly.

EEK! Sorry for posting 2x. It didn't work at first so I retyped it. :(

If you like this print, then you should check out the 'Circles' collection by Dwell at Target:

http://www.target.com/Circles-Bedding-Collection-DwellStudio%E2%84%A2for-Baby/b/ref=sc_fe_l_1/187-3062076-6354807?ie=UTF8&node=401647011

There are curtains, bedding, pillows, etc, and they have wall stickers which you can use to create your own little masterpiece on the wall. I have these in my son's bedroom, and it makes for a nice, slightly different boy's room (not the usual sport or rescue vehicle themes for boys, which can be very tiresome if you're not into that yourself). Could also be used for a girls room, as the colors are blue, green, brown, yellow, and red.

Eyestorm published these in 2000 with Damien Hirst and are called 'Valium'. They are very hard to get hold of as very popular, but Eyestorm are currently selling them on behalf of clients, so I would suggest trying them.

You could recreate them in photoshop, but they won't be signed and wont be worth beyond $20,000! And technically, you are creating a fake, and these have been plagueing the art market for the last 3 years. The guy who faked a lot of them has now been put in jail.

You can find one at Eyestorm here.