David Shrigley (UK)

°1968

David Shrigley is well known for his humorous drawings and witty, sometimes wry observations of everyday life. His direct graphic style is what makes the drawings accessible. Spelling mistakes and inaccuracies are an inherent part of the drawings and give them their spontaneity. At the same time they provide a harsh commentary on the absurdity of man and society and paint a vivid picture of the modern-day condition humaine.

Rules of the Prison (2013)
Rules of the Church (2013)
Rules of the Stadium (2013)

posters

Shrigley uses lists of rules and commands in many of his works. For Contour he has drawn up rules of conduct for the prison, the church and the stadium. This is what the artist himself has to say about rules: ‘RULES: They say that rules are made to be broken but this is just a figure of speech. Rules are made to be kept. Rules are there to guide us. As the modern world grows ever more complicated and appears to now be populated mostly by nutters, rules have become increasingly important. Those who break the rules will be beaten with a rod of iron and then made to write out the rules one million times. Bending the rules is also forbidden. Bent rules are useless.’

Produced by Contour 2013.

Conveyer Belt, Headless Drummer and New Friends (2006-2012)

animation films, black & white, sound, 5’15”

A mixture of humour and satire characterizes the short animation films David Shrigley began making in 2006. The films consist of simple line drawings, depicting absurd scenarios. Some are purely whimsical, others deal with existential themes such as good, evil, love, hatred, life and death. Contour is showing a compilation.