David Shrigley - Untitled (This Huge Cat) - 2022

Irreverent and playful, yet strangely poignant, Untitled (This Huge Cat) speaks to accepting the surprises of life with tenacity and resolve. Although the presence of type from the outset suggests a didactic interpretation, the oddity of the subject matter leads to a questioning of the absurdity of life, and allows for deeper thought and interpretation. Bold shapes and colours come into play here, and the concept is deceptively simple, almost child-like. The playfulness of the work creates an approachability that appeals in a time of social media memes and dwindling attention spans, conveying it’s immediacy and digestibility. The visible brush strokes and loose lines appeal to my aesthetic sensibilities, suggesting a carelessness that contrasts the astute perceptions contained within, but also speaking to the labor and human touch of the artist themselves. Shrigley’s work is determinately human - nothing, from his language to his painting style could be mistaken with the uncanny valley perfection of AI images.