A brand new David Shrigley exhibition captures his immutable attraction and wit
Over 30 works by the Brighton-based visual artist are on display, including a series of limited-edition prints, colour and monochrome originals, ceramics and lithographic prints – bringing together this expansive collection of work for the first time ever.
The artworks themselves showcase Shrigley’s trademark straight-talking approach, with his comic takes on modern life prompting viewers to laugh first, and then to think. The artist’s naïve aesthetic belies the rich messaging beneath, with animals, figures and objects depicted in bright, bold brushstrokes and accompanied by witty, ironic messaging.
These pieces range from a painting of a bee with a short (yet accurate) line that reads ‘Bees are better than us’; a minimal landscape painting of an orange sun and sea accompanied by the words ‘We’re all fucked’; and a colourful composition made up of hundreds of brushstrokes below the simple title ‘Time’ – the latter serving up an ambiguous but beautiful interpretation of a truly abstract concept.
With 2022 marking more than 30 years since Shrigley graduated from the Glasgow School of Art, his genius shows no sign of stopping any time soon. Following the release of over 20 books, a nomination for the Turner Prize in 2013, and an OBE in 2020 for his ongoing service to the visual arts, this show arguably comes at the height of the artist’s career.
Mainly Multiples, Some Paintings & Other Stuff Too is on show at Hang-Up from 18 Nov to 27 Jan 2023; hanguppictures.com