Freeze (exhibition)

Freeze was the title of an art exhibition organised by Damien Hirst and other students from Goldsmiths College. The show took place in July 1988 in an empty London Port Authority building at Surrey Docks in London's Docklands and was sponsored by the London Docklands Development Corporation and Olympia and York. Although often described as being in a warehouse, the exhibition was actually housed in an administration block.

Related Topics:
Art exhibition - Damien Hirst - Goldsmiths College - 1988 - Docklands - London Docklands Development Corporation - Olympia and York - Warehouse

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The show is now seen as the defining event for the group of artists later to be identified as the Young British Artists (yBas). However, several members of the yBas went to different art colleges and didn't exhibit at Freeze, many of the original exhibitors are no longer celebrated, and two young artists actually turned down the chance to be in the exhibition. The exhibition was originally conceived as a group effort but during the preparation Hirst, who was still only in his second year at College and had more time on his hands, emerged as main organiser. Hirst and his collaborators consciously imitated the look of Charles Saatchi's first gallery in St John's Wood that had opened a few years earlier. Indeed Saatchi was an early visitor to the show where he was first introduced to Damien Hirst. Saatchi, who was already looking to acquire contemporary art from promising, unknown artists, purchased a piece by Matt Collishaw direct from the exhibition. Goldsmiths' lecturer Michael Craig-Martin used his influence in the London art world to get Norman Rosenthal and Nicholas Serota to visit the exhibition and bought several of the works from the show.

Related Topics:
Young British Artists - Charles Saatchi - Michael Craig-Martin - Norman Rosenthal - Nicholas Serota

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The 16 students who did exhibit at Freeze were

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• Steven Adamson
• Angela Bulloch
• Mat Collishaw - Bullet Hole
• Ian Davenport
• Dominic Denis
• Angus Fairhurst
• Anya Gallaccio
• Damien Hirst
• Gary Hume - door paintings
• Michael Landy
• Abigail Lane
• Sarah Lucas
• Lala Meredith Vula
• Richard Patterson
• Simon Patterson
• Stephen Park
• Fiona Rae

The catalogue for Freeze had surprisingly high production values for a student exhibition being designed by Tony Arefin and included an essay by art critic Ian Jeffrey. The title of the show came from the catalogue's description of Mat Collishaw's macro photograph Bullet Hole which showed a bullet striking a human head - 'dedicated to a moment of impact, a preserved now, a freeze-frame'. The catalogue is now a collectors item.

Related Topics:
Tony Arefin - Ian Jeffrey

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A group photo of the exhibitors outside the show is often reprinted but is not a complete record as Bulloch and Landy are not in the picture.

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Following the show many of the artists secured dealers. The success inspired a second exhibition several months later, Freeze 2, featuring some artists from the first exhibition and some new faces from other London Art Schools. However, this second show was not as influential.

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There was one contemporary review of the exhibition by Sacha Craddock. The BBC filmed the exhibition and interviewed some contributors. Although the footage was not aired at the time, it has been used in programmes since.

Related Topics:
Sacha Craddock - BBC

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