The fourth game in the series was influenced by Hirst's "With Black Dot" from 1988. Initially, the black spot in the corner of the screen draws attention to itself because it is the only spot on the playing field that is not anchored. In this game, the player shoots the spots in an effort to remove them from the screen. As the player shoots, it becomes evident that the ammunition used to remove the spots does not "die" and so it becomes apparent that the ammunition is as much of a problem as the original spots. This is to give a picture of the experience of feeling like the medication was in the way of my recovery. The only way to win this game is to not play it.
This game and the previous two games are also in dialogue with Robert Rauschenberg's "Erased DeKooning" because the player "erases" Hirst's paintings of the same names while playing these games. Rauschenberg created his piece as an "homage" to Willem DeKooning. In contrast, I do not pay homage to Hirst but intend to erase his work as a form of critique. His pharmaceutical Spot Paintings are naïve and co-opt the experience of people who depend on medication, in an effort to give meaning to otherwise conceptually vacuous work. I find Hirst's approach to creating artwork self serving and shallow, and so "erasing" his pieces in my work is very satisfying for me.
