# Bullet Hole

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1988 artwork by British artist Mat Collishaw

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Mat Collishaw *Bullet Hole*, 1988

***Bullet Hole*** is the title of a 1988 artwork by [British](/source/United_Kingdom) artist [Mat Collishaw](/source/Mat_Collishaw). Despite the title, the work is a reproduction of an ice pick wound to the head, appropriated from a pathology manual and blown up over an interlocking grid of fifteen separate framed images that make up one single work. It first went on show in the exhibition [Freeze](/source/Freeze_(exhibition)), organized by [Damien Hirst](/source/Damien_Hirst).

The work has become synonymous with the perceived ethos of the [Young British Artists](/source/Young_British_Artists) art scene, in particular the reuse of imagery that is seemingly repulsive or shocking.

The photographs were described by [Ian Jeffrey](/source/Ian_Jeffrey), in a catalogue essay for the Freeze exhibition as a "freeze-frame" and hence prompted the title of that exhibition.[1]

According to Collishaw, the artwork did not sell and “rotted in a skip” outside the Freeze exhibition in 1988.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Jessica Lack, "[Artist of the week no 1: Mat Collishaw](https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2008/jul/23/matcollishaw)," *The Guardian*, July 23, 2008.

v t e Young British Artists Artists Fiona Banner Henry Bond Christine Borland Glenn Brown Angela Bulloch Jake and Dinos Chapman Adam Chodzko Mat Collishaw Ian Davenport Tacita Dean Tracey Emin Angus Fairhurst Nick Fudge Anya Gallaccio Liam Gillick Douglas Gordon Marcus Harvey Damien Hirst Gary Hume Michael Landy Abigail Lane Chris Ofili Sarah Lucas Stephen Park Richard Patterson Simon Patterson Steven Pippin Marc Quinn Fiona Rae Alessandro Raho Jenny Saville Georgina Starr Sam Taylor-Johnson Gavin Turk Gillian Wearing Rachel Whiteread Jane and Louise Wilson Teachers Basil Beattie Helen Chadwick Michael Craig-Martin Ian Jeffrey Jon Thompson Mark Wallinger Richard Wentworth Influences Art & Language Art in Ruins Conceptual art Gilbert & George Jeff Koons John Stezaker Andy Warhol Lawrence Weiner Artworks 24 Hour Psycho Break Down Bullet Hole Documents Series Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963–1995 For the Love of God House My Bed Myra No Woman No Cry 26 October 1993 The Upper Room State Britain Tense The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living Shows Brilliant! East Country Yard Show Freeze Modern Medicine Sensation Curators Joshua Compston Carl Freedman Gregor Muir Norman Rosenthal Jon Thompson Galleries Anthony d'Offay Gallery Curtain Road Arts City Racing Gagosian Gallery Karsten Schubert Gallery Lisson Gallery Maureen Paley Saatchi Gallery Sadie Coles HQ South London Gallery Victoria Miro Gallery White Cube Collectors Bernard Arnault Janet Wolfson de Botton Eli Broad Frank Cohen Steven A. Cohen Dakis Joannou Pauline Karpidas George Michael Jose Mugrabi François Pinault Miuccia Prada Charles Saatchi Jack Wendler Poju and Anita Zabludowicz Advocates Louisa Buck Matthew Collings Richard Cork Andrew Graham-Dixon Sarah Kent Stuart Morgan Norman Rosenthal Sir Nicholas Serota Matthew Slotover Opponents BANK Billy Childish James Heartfield Matthew Higgs David Lee Brian Sewell Julian Stallabrass Stuckists Charles Thomson Related Conceptual art Frieze Art Fair Momart Post-YBAs Turner Prize

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