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[March 11th 2003]
Interview
David Shrigley
Strictly Shrigley
Interview with David Shrigley
David Shrigley is a divinely gifted humorist.
When he takes hold of his pen, life turns absurd. But there is also
depth, wisdom and melancholia in his work. Shrigley is the 21st
century's answer to René Magritte, Carl Barks and Samuel
Beckett. Interview: Lisbeth Bonde. Photo: Thyra Hilden.
David Shrigley
anti - depressants
Photographs, sculptures and drawings
17 January - 15 March 2003
Galleri Nicolai Wallner
Njalsgade 21, building 15
2300 Copenhagen S
Tel. +45 32 57 09 70
fax +45 32 57 09 71
Tue-Fri 12-17, Sat 12-15
nw@nicolaiwallner.com
www.nicolaiwallner.com
Press
release...
Images from the exhibition
at Galleri Nicolai Wallner...
Kopenhagen.dk met up with David Shrigley (1968)
at Niels Borch Printing in Amager where he is in the process of
creating a copper print series. From the free lines of drawing,
Shrigley may be moving into a somewhat more complex and dedication
demanding form of expression, but he's doing surprisingly well
at translating the flow and improvisation of his drawings into
the copper prints, which are delightful, simple and striking.
The reason for Shrigley's appearance here
in Denmark is his solo exhibition at Galleri Nicolai Wallner,
open until March 15. There are photos, drawings and sculpture
in this characterically sly Shrigley show: One of the 'sculptures'
is a painter's shirt, spread out on the floor, with a little,
tiny head stuck in the collar. The fragility of the painter and
the absurd distance between identity and presence are among the
many thoughts that this little, shy object on the floor can summon
up. David Shrigley is English - born in the Midlands - but has
lived in Glasgow since his college days at Glasgow School of Art,
where he dropped out with horrible grades in 1991. "It's
a fantastic city for young artists. But I don't really fit into
that category any more. I'm becoming too established," says
Shrigley, who has accumulated quite a few international exhibitions
and books under his belt.
From Niels Borchs trykkeri
Why on Earth did you ever go to the Art
Academy when you ended up quitting and doing something completely
different?
Actually I learned a whole lot, even though I don’t use
any of it now. I learned to draw properly, but that’s not
a skill that I’d ever want to use. Quite the opposite, actually.
That’s why I wrote an open letter to young graduates from
the art academy telling them not to spend money on their graduation
show, and not to spend it on an expensive studio either, because
all good art can come from nothing. I also advised them to make
friends with people that write for art magazines instead of curators.
They’ll get more out that in the long run. And last but not
least, the emerging artist has to remember that real life is much
better than academy life. You don’t have to go to an academy
to learn how to do your art, it’s much easier to learn other
ways of drawing.
Then why did you apply to the Academy?
I was drawn to it because of the art, and I drew all the time
when I was a kid. Most of the people that go to the Academy have
probably been demonstrating talent with drawing since they were
young, and often they find out at the Academy that they don’t
like drawing, and maybe that they don’t even like being an
artist. I was crazy about making objects and drawing and creative
stuff, and so it seemed natural that I would go in that direction.
Later I found out that I wanted to make cartoons, and I started
drawing for newspapers.
You tell stories with your work. You observe the absurdities
of life and comment on them with your little ‘statements’.
Yeah, I like little narratives, but my approach isn’t
that structured. It just creates itself. I make small, simple
stations in the course of a story. But in my books I do sometimes
do longer pieces.
You seem interested in people’s fragility, and also their
more inconsequential, loser sides.
Yes, that’s the way I see things. I personally think
that my drawings are really depressing, to be perfectly honest.
  
Here we're looking at a copper print of a man with branch-like
lines coming out of his head. It's called 'A Free Soul'. We're laughing
hard because because the man is so tied up in his lines of thought
that he has no way at all of seeing his freedom.
How does it feel working with the whole, involved copper print
process, compared to sitting at a table and drawing?
It’s very different. But Niels Borch has supplied me with
a few good technicians, so I can translate the immediacy of the
drawings to the copper prints, like when I draw on a soft copper
plate. It’s an interesting process, and I like it a lot. I
don’t think it’s something I’ll do a lot of in the
future, but as one of many different methods it isn’t bad.
I just have to get used to drawing things in reverse of how they’ll
be printed. That’s very different, and it looks very different,
but I’m working just as intuitively with the copper plates
as I do with drawing.
Where do you get your ideas? Do you observe people?
Actually, I don’t know. They just come. When I work, I just work, and I never think about it. Sometimes I write out
lists of subjects that I want to work with, but the ideas come
by themselves. I do a whole lot of drawings and throw away the
ones I don’t like. Shrigley laughs. It’s all
a very intuitive process. I love the work that comes out of nothing,
out of the blue.
Your art is a whole universe, it’s made up of a history,
an assertion, a philosophical process.
Pretty much! And the point is that you have to work all the
time. When you’re working, things happen that you never could
have predicted.
I’m lucky enough to have one of your wonderful drawings
at home. I’m a real horse girl, and a couple of years ago
I bought your drawing of a horse that’s traded heads with
its rider! It’s hilarious and a really good representation
of the relationship between horse and rider.
Shrigley happily accepts the compliment..
You often draw impossible heroes, anti-heroes. What is their
role?
Almost all of my characters are interchangeable. They could
be me, they could be you, they could be anybody. The heroes are
often anti-heroes, and the other way around. I don’t have
any moral attitude about my characters, I just try to draw them
like I see them.
What’s your idea of a good artist?
That’s a tough question. There are loads of artists I
like. I can’t really give a reason for it. But generally
I’d say that I like art that surprises me. Here in Denmark,
where I’ve seen a lot of art, the stuff I’ve fallen
for most has been by Tal R, his work really speaks to me.
I’ve really gotten into his art, he’s one of my favourites.
Have you told him?
Not yet.
  
Niels Borchs trykkeri
Well, he can read about it in the interview if he subscribes
to kopenhagen.dk!! Name a few more established artists that you
like.
Well, René Magritte has to be first on the list,
but I’m also really into Arnold Böckli, the symbolist.
But I’m even more interested in artists that write. Especially
the American author Donald Barthelme, who died about 15
years ago. He had a fine sense of irony, and he was part of the
American ‘metafiction’ movement.
You also do 3D work. How do these pieces fit into your practice?
I don’t make that many objects. Around 6-8 a year. I
make them when I get bored of drawing. My policy is that no sculpture
can take more than one day to make. They’re ideas, and they
should be seen that way. Sometimes I get up in the morning and
I know I’m going to make a sculpture. I’ve got two studios:
I work with my drawings at home, and I have a studio in downtown
Glasgow where I can mess around with stuff like sculptures. I
never imagined that I would be exhibiting in galleries and museums
and making objects and hanging drawings on the wall, but that’s
what I’ve been doing with one solo show after another. It’s
surprising that I’ve made anything other than books and comics.
But I’ve gotten used to it, and figured out how to use the
exhibition space.
It has to be wonderful to be able to do exactly what you feel
like doing, and be true to yourself all day long. You’ve
made a successful career out of being yourself!
I’d say that this is the best life I could possibly live.
I don’t consider my work to be work, and if I ever end up
working with something else, I’ll always do my drawings and
objects on the side. But luckily, I don’t have to yet.
David Shrigley
More...
David Shrigleynews and links
David Shrigley at dareonline
About David Shrigley at anweb
translated by Vaquero Dave Duchin
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