David Shrigley ‘Brain Activity’ at the Hayward Gallery
Last week, I attended the private preview of the new David Shrigley exhibition at the Hayward Gallery, London, with the lovely girls from ASOS.
David Shrigley is an artist best known for his humorous and satirical drawings, which make witty and often dark observations on everyday life.
He has a deliberately crude, graphic style (almost as if a child has drawn it- words are written on a ruled line, as you would see when a child is learning to write). This child-like style is very accessible and visually great to look at, but his drawings also offer a quirky commentary on the absurdities of adult relationships.
The new exhibition ‘Brain Activity’ is a retrospective look at Shrigley’s work, from the beginning of his career in the mid-1990’s to the present day. Shrigley describes his art as: “somewhere between graphic comic book art and conceptual art.” Though he is known for his quirky drawings and handwritten pieces, his work also extends to sculpture, photography, animated films, neon signs and music.
Some of my favourite pieces from the exhibition include an animated film of headless drummers (drawn from stick people) playing the drums, a bell with words alongside it saying “Not to be rung again until Jesus returns” and a wall of cartoon-style drawings with wry comments written over each picture. I imagine it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I really like his work and if you’re a Shrigley – it’s a must-see!
I attended the preview with the fabulous ASOS team; as the online fashion store is launching a limited edition range of boyfriend-style tee’s and sweaters with exclusive David Shrigley prints on them. The range is due to launch towards the end of February, so keep posted for pics!
In addition, I’m off to see the new Yayoi Kusama exhibition at the Tate Gallery this weekend – l’ll give you an update on this next week. The 82 year-old Japanese artist (well known for her colourful spots) is set to embark on a design collaboration with Louis Vuitton this year…very excited to see the results of this!
FashionBite xx
