The Acquired Inability To Escape Divided
The Acquired Inability To Escape Divided
Signed Print
Damien Hirst
POA
This estimate blends recent public auction records with our own private sale data and network demand.
Lithograph, 1993
Signed Print Edition of 50
H 11cm x W 22cm
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Auction Results
| Auction Date | Auction House | Artwork | Hammer Price | Return to Seller | Buyer Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2008 | Christie's London - United Kingdom | The Acquired Inability To Escape Divided - Signed Print | |||
| April 2006 | Christie's London - United Kingdom | The Acquired Inability To Escape Divided - Signed Print | |||
| June 2005 | Bonhams New Bond Street - United Kingdom | The Acquired Inability To Escape Divided - Signed Print |
Meaning & Analysis
The Acquired Inability To Escape Divided is a signed offset lithograph in colours produced by renowned contemporary artist, Damien Hirst. The print, made in 1993, depicts an installation made by Hirst in 1991, The Acquired Inability To Escape. The critically acclaimed installation consisted of an office table and chair enclosed in a glass vitrine. Captured from a side angle, the print shows how the structure is supported by brutal looking heavy steel frames, held tightly in place by large and aggressive bolts. The glass walls capture the viewer’s attention, luring them to stare inside, however the thick structure emphasises how entry is forbidden.
The Acquired Inability To Escape Divided is part of a series of works all inspired by the original installation from 1991. In 1993, Hirst made three exact replicas of the installation, The Acquired Inability to Escape Inverted, The Acquired Inability to Escape Divided and The Acquired Inability to Escape Inverted and Divided, along with this lithograph, derived from a photograph of the structure.
The glass vitrine shown in this print has become a signature structure for the artist, who cites painter Frances Bacon as an early influence on his work. Hirst’s first vitrine was A Thousand Years, made in 1990, which showed a pair of interlinked glass cells which housed a swarm of flies feeding off a rotting cows head.
