David Shrigley’s work has become enormously popular. There are Shrigley books, Shrigley greeting cards and postcards, Shrigley LPs, CDs and 7in singles. There are probably people doing Shrigley imitations and dissertations. Should we take Shrigley seriously? What does “serious” mean?
All sorts of inflated claims have been made for Shrigley. His voice has been likened to that of early Thomas Pynchon, and his drawings have been likened to those of serial killer Denis Nilson (you can thank Will Self for the second comparison). Shrigley himself has said he admires the novels of Donald Barthelme and Joseph Conrad, and the art of Philip Guston. His own art manages to be both clever and moronic, relentlessly stupid and occasionally profound. Somehow, he seduces many of us into thinking of him as a major talent.
more from The Guardian here.