In an exclusive film, BBC Arts previews a major new touring exhibition by Turner Prize-nominated artist David Shrigley as it opens in Guadalajara, Mexico. From a headless ostrich to a giant continuous sausage and a pair of fishing waders full of expanding foam, Shrigley invites us to fill our boots.
Best known for his crudely composed and mordantly humorous cartoons, David Shrigley is a highly popular British artist.
Nominated for the Turner Prize in 2013, he has also written books, released spoken-word albums, and designed a terrifying mascot for the Scottish football club, Partick Thistle. Who better to fly the flag for British art abroad?
An artist with a broad portfolio, Shrigley is hard to pigeonhole. Rich with dark wit, his works are as playful as they are challenging.
Rich with dark wit, his works are as playful as they are challenging
Shrigley regularly works across different media. Swapping with ease from graphic, text-heavy drawings to unique, challenging sculptures, he has also provided artwork - and directed - the music video for Blur's Good Song.
Such is his domestic reputation that he has recently been awarded the Fourth Plinth Commission – a prize which will see his work take pride of place in London's Trafalgar Square later in 2016.
Now, his appeal is being celebrated overseas with a touring exhibition of his work,David Shrigley: Lose Your Mind. Organised with the British Council, the show opens in Guadalajara, Mexico before going on tour.
Featuring works as diverse as cartoonish ceramic boots, doodle-like drawings and a headless, stuffed ostrich, the exhibition highlights Shrigley’s lively, irreverent imagination in full flow.
David Shrigley: Lose Your Mind. Ostrich, 2009. © David Shrigley. Courtesy of Instituto Cultural Cabañas, Photo by Marcos García.
David Shrigley: Lose Your Mind. Cheers, 2007. © David Shrigley. Courtesy of Instituto Cultural Cabañas, Photo by Marcos García.
David Shrigley: Lose Your Mind. Boots. © David Shrigley. Courtesy of Instituto Cultural Cabañas, Photo by Marcos García.
David Shrigley: Lose Your Mind. The artist, 2014. © David Shrigley. Courtesy of Instituto Cultural Cabañas, Photo by Marcos García.
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