This exhibition begins in the lift, and even on this short journey Shrigley manages to affect us with his creative humour. Then you arrive in the upper galleries: three rooms cram packed with witty anecdotes, funny drawings and clever sculptures. Before I had a chance to look round I was asked, twice, to pose for photos – there were few people looking around and the photographers were keen to illustrate the scale of the pieces in comparison with a human!
The Hayward introduces London to David Shrigley in the largest ever presentation of his work. The show includes drawings and animations, painting, sculpture, taxidermy and photography, including sixty-eight new works specially made. Titled ‘Brain Activity,’ this collection is wonderfully eclectic covering a range of diverse practices and offering an insight into Shrigley’s wild and inventive mind. He is best known for his small drawings and animations that pick fun at everyday situations, commenting with wittily on our world and social situations we are find ourselves in.
Despite looking round alone, I found Shrigley’s work made me snigger aloud several times. Every piece is different and the show is full of surprises – I was captivated by Shrigley’s huge imagination which moves between a simple childish innocence and something dark and sinister. The first room, for example, contains giant black boots arranged on steps, tiny photographs glued on a corner of wall, witty photographs framed in sequence and best of all a massive cup of tea perfectly in proportion but huge, I blew on the surface and sure enough it moved just as real as I’d hoped. The next room has the famous taxidermied Jack Russell ‘I’m Dead’ (2010) super-strange and oddly dreamlike. On the wall above the new animation ‘Headless Drummer’ (2012) is projected… a clever film inspired by the artist’s interest in music, it is mesmerising to watch.
Walking through to the following rooms, you pass through a sculptural portal ‘Do Not Linger At The Gate’ (2008). Shrigley’s drawings and animations are not dissimilar to Beavis and Butthead illustrations. Many are macabre in tone and yet remain funny and appealing to observe. In the later assortment of drawings, the subjects are entirely random, drawn in thick black marker pen. Visitors seemed fascinated by the diversity, each person taking time to study the unusual pieces. The most impressive piece is a large scale installation featuring hundreds of metal insects with spindly legs, crouching together, a menacing group of termites.
I loved the element of surprise in this exhibition, there are so many tiny details to find, even after an hour peeking round every corner I’m sure I missed something. In one room I saw a man leaning his forehead against the wall, just before assuming he was mad, I noticed a tiny hole in the wall that he was peeking into – and soon I too had a chance to look at the bizarre work within the wall.
Every visitor will spot something different in Shrigley’s work, a collection of thoughts and comments to inspire anyone and perhaps everyone.
Continues at the Hayward Gallery until 13 May 2012, more information and book here.