GAMBLER

(London): (Building One), 1990. First edition. Near fine.. Scarce limited edition catalogue of the second of two highly influential warehouse exhibitions organized by Damien Hirst in 1990. Curated by Sellman and Freedman and including work by Young British Artists Dan Bonsall, Dominic Denis, Steve di Benedtto, Angus Fairhurst, Tim Head, and Michael Scott, GAMBLER hosted the first exhibition of Hirst's infamous "A Thousand Years": a cow's head enclosed in a glass vitrine with maggots and suspended fly-electrocuting light, so compelling a model of life and death it reportedly captured Francis Bacon's attention for a full hour. ARTSPACE magazine selected it as the most pivotal artwork of 1990, quoting and accepting Hirst's own explanations about the fear of death. Julian Stallabrass, however, located its inspirations more specifically in mass culture's horror-movie representations of death: "It's all so Peter Cushing. And what else could a boy do, growing up in the 1970s, who happened to be called Damien?" The work was ultimately purchased by Charles Saatchi, marking the beginning of their hugely influential relationship. An ephemeral document from a major event. 11.75'' x 8.25''. Original black wrappers. Illustrated with color plates. Unpaginated. Edition of 500. Minor wear to wrappers.