Artist Spotlight #2 David Shrigley

Photograph of professional artist David Shrigley, sitting back on a pale pink sofa with his legs up and arms around the back of the seat. The wall is covered in his framed illustrated artwork. — Photo: Anna Huix © Anna Huix

Artist Spotlight

This is the second in my short blogs series ‘Artist Spotlight’ where I shine the light on an artist I admire and whose work I think you should check out. The first in the series showcased the incredibly talented Tom Gauld, and today I want to share my appreciation for the entirely different but equally talented David Shrigley.

David Shrigley

David Shrigley is a contemporary artist who has achieved that transcendence of his art being recognised the world over, and not just amongst artists. His uniquely stylised hand drawn witty text, accompanied by cartoonish illustrations (David himself is quoted as saying his artwork is “somewhere between handwriting and drawing”), is applied across multiple disciplines including illustration, sculpture, animation, music and photography.

Wear Shoes Do Not Wear Shoes

We Must Act

Inspiration

I first became aware of Shrigley while studying at Edinburgh College of Art. I struggled to believe in my own abilities at college to become an illustrator, but knew I could think of funny or interesting things to draw. David’s work had a playful, irreverent feel to it, that made me laugh of loud and think in equal measure. His work is a reminder that art, and more generally Illustration, doesn’t always have to follow cookie-cutter standards or fine art principles. His work is unique to him, and it’s the perfect remedy to the often terrifying ‘artistic block’.

A short biography

David was born in England in the sixties, but I was delighted to discover that he studied and lived in Glasgow for several years (I will write about an artist that doesn’t have a Scottish link soon...!) Now living in Devon, with what looks like an incredible artist studio, David’s artistic work has travelled across the globe in the shape of sculptures, exhibitions, and installations. There’s way too many for me to list here, but full details can be found on his website, and making it along to one of his exhibitions is definitely on my bucket list.

The image is a photograph, copyright David Shrigley. In the foreground is a coconut hanging by a white string from the top bar of a set of goals. Written on it in white is 'Try To Be Happy'. The blurred background shows an empty brown piece of land. — *Full copyright © David Shrigley.*

Shrig Shop, Copenhagen

Having only discovered that Shrig Shop exists a few months after I had been on holiday to Copenhagen, I want to make sure you’re all aware so you can include it on your list of must-sees if you book a trip there! This place looks incredible; like an immersive exhibition of Shrigley’s work, where you can also buy affordable copies of his art and limited edition gift items he’s designed.

Books

I’ve got a bookcase overflowing with art books and comics, and often refer to these when experiencing a bit of a creative block or just to relax or feel inspired.

Two of David’s books feature on my shelves; ‘Red Book’ and ‘What The Hell Are You Doing? The Essential David Shrigley’. Both books provide an insight into the quite surreal world Shrigley creates, with collections of his humorous, slightly anxious, sometimes thought-provoking, and always interesting art works, and I’d highly recommend them both.

Spotlight

It’s not easy to summarise the work of David Shrigley…while his style is distinctive, it’s also almost indefinable. You can’t compare it to works of others, or easily categorise it, and it’s both irreverent and thought provoking, complex and simplistic. And because of this, it can divide opinion – check it out and see what you think!

The photograph is taken in a David Shrigley exhibition called DO NOT TOUCH THE WORMS. This timed artwork saw large fake pink worms inflate and deflate on a timer. The room is bright white with a light wooden floor and large windows. — *DO NOT TOUCH THE WORMS. Full copyright © David Shrigley.*

Where can you find David?

Check out David’s work on his website and social pages. To be honest if you can manage it, I’d suggest just heading straight to his store in Copenhagen – I plan to soon!

Website: Home - David Shrigley
Instagram: David Shrigley (@davidshrigley) • Instagram photos and videos
Twitter: David Shrigley (@davidshrigley) / Twitter

A children's book called 'Bee and Bear' sitting on a wooden desktop. The cover is digitally illustrated & shows a smiling brown bear holding up his left paw with a smiling bee hovering just above it. In the background are woods and a big beehive. — **Enjoyed this blog?**

Check out examples of my own work elsewhere on my website, including my children’s book illustrations for ‘Bee and Bear’ here.