'I am not very good at drawing women, so I end up drawing a lot of deformed men'
David Shrigley (°1968, England) lives and works in Glasgow. He has been exhibiting his work across the world since his graduation from the Glasgow School of Art in 1991. He publishes his drawings in both postcard books and major art publications. In addition to his drawings, he also creates an enormous number of sculptures, photographic work and animation films. The starting point of his work is daily life in all its bizarre forms and strange guises, in which absurdity – often with an edge or a hidden meaning – is always primary.
Blur
Shrigley’s varied production is also evident from his collaboration with other artists and musicians. For example, he directed the music video of Good Song on the album Think Tank (2003) by the British alternative rock band Blur and for Agnes, Queen of Sorrow by the American singer-songwriter Bonnie Prince Billy. Since 2005, his weekly cartoon has appeared in The Guardian Weekend Magazine.
Shrigley depicts simple thoughts and ideas in spontaneous, straightforward line drawings. His distinctive, bizarre sense of humour ensures a surprising perspective on very diverse social subjects and everyday situations – often with a dark and sometimes even sinister edge. However diverse, all Shrigley’s works ultimately treat the same theme: the human condition in modern society.
The exhibition at M presents a selection of drawings, animated films and sculptures, including The Ostrich and Two Worlds. Especially for M, David Shrigley made a new installation on location. Shrigley's books, postcards, t-shirts and other gadgets, such as his plectrums, are very popular.
Since 10 September 2010, artists in England have been protesting the government’s proposed 25 percent budget cut to the arts, in support of the Save the Arts organisation. Every week, an artist makes a work depicting the impact of the budget cuts on Britain’s art life. David Shrigley started the protest with an animated film entitled 'An Important Message about the Arts', in which a farmer and his son explain the importance of arts and arts organisations. David Hockney, Damien Hirst, Anish Kapoor, Rachel Whiteread and Richard Hamilton are also due to make works in the series. The British Film Institute, The Tate, The National Portrait Gallery and The Serpentine Gallery are among the art institutions participating in the project.
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