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Can you spot the difference?
By Ellen Widdup, Evening Standard 24.10.06
Damien Hirst's disputed 2000 work Valium, left, and the 1984 drawing by computer graphics artist Robert Dixon
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Damien Hirst is today facing allegations of plagiarism over one of his artworks. The 41-year-old artist has been accused of copying the pattern for Valium, created six years ago, from a 1984 drawing by Robert Dixon.
Dixon claims Hirst had only created the Valium piece, a series of multicoloured spots in a circular pattern, after seeing his black and white design True Daisy in the Penguin Dictionary Of Curious And Interesting Geometry, published in 1991.
He said he had contacted Hirst demanding financial compensation and an acknowledgement of his artistic contribution.
In a letter to the Turner Prize winner, he added: "Your drawing is not merely the same pattern but is made by copying my drawing. Your artwork is practically dependent on my artwork. I conceived, calculated, formulated and programmed the Penguin drawing. You did not."
Hirst is expected to dispute the claim but Dixon, whose original drawing was based on a mathematical model inspired by studies of the natural geometry of daisies, said it would be hard to ignore what he had to say.
He said that although Valium was larger than True Daisy, it was a mirror image of the design, with the same number of spots. "This makes it a tracing," he said. "I realised it was a copy straight away... the chances of drawing the same number of spots are very tiny."
Dixon, a 59-year-old computer graphics artist and former research associate at the Royal College of Art, added that Valium, produced in an edition of 500 prints which have each sold for four and five figure sums, was the second time Hirst had copied his work.
Three years ago he complained that a circular pattern Hirst produced for a children's colouring book was also a copy of True Daisy. The complaint was not upheld.
Hirst is no stranger to plagiarism claims. In 2000 he paid designer Norman Emms compensation after copying a £14.99 toy, which he reproduced as his £1million sculpture Hymn. Hirst, his manager Frank Dunphy and his dealer White Cube have refused to comment on the new allegation.
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Reader views (6)
further evidence that that moronic hack is no artist. He doesn't produce the works, now we find he doesn't even design them.
- J, Leics, UK
I would like my art work would be copied by Mr Damien and would sold by Billions of Pounds I am the artist as well piknosa00 and I believe that I am worth at least £2 million.
My great respect to Mr Damien as this gentelman is remarkable
- Piknosa00, London
Thanks for your comments, Ami and Nick(above). But Tobias, if your five year old recently did draw a Ferm spiral of spots at constant divergence of 137.5 degrees, I suggest your five your old learnt how to do this, which Hirst did not.
- Robert Dixon, hull, uk
By all means be inspired by other artists, but blatently ripping them off, not giving them any credit (especially when they're still alive), and then denying that you've done so is just pathetic (especially when you're manager has already admited that it was from Dixon's origianal work he took the pattern from). A poor representation of British art, and shame on the fools who buy these works purely because they're by Hirst.
- Ami, london
My 6 year old recently did a drawing like the ones above. Does this mean we can sue!!
- Tobias, london w1
If you cut out the images and paste one on top of the other into Photoshop, rotate one slightly and switch between the two, it's easy to see how it could be regarded as a copy.
It would be quite easy to copy too, take a picture of the printed version, and project it onto a wall, and trace the dots over it...I wonder how much it sold for? Not bad for a few hours work. Anyway....I think I'll just go and find a farmyard animal to saw in half and pickle...just hope I don't get sued...
- Nick Robertson, Bexhill-on-Sea, UK
