David Shrigley, Don't, 2018

Don't (2018) – David Shrigley Screenprint

About the Work

Don't (2018) is a striking David Shrigley screenprint that immediately arrests the viewer with its high-contrast palette and defiant graphic simplicity. The composition centres on a bold, black bell silhouette suspended against a saturated, cadmium yellow backdrop, inside of which the word 'Don't' is rendered in the artist's signature hand-drawn white lettering. This chromatic tension creates a striking visual field, transforming a simple prohibition into a monumental graphic statement.

By depicting an alarm bell coupled with an absolute negative command, the work masterfully captures a sense of modern frustration and existential anxiety. Shrigley strip-mines authority of its context, leaving the viewer to contemplate a warning that offers no explanation of what is being forbidden. The resulting absurdity shifts the tone from a direct order to a playful critique of societal rules and regulations.

David Shrigley

As a Turner Prize nominee and celebrated member of the Royal Academy, David Shrigley has secured an enduring position within contemporary British art. His public commissions, notably the Fourth Plinth sculpture in Trafalgar Square, have cemented his reputation as a vital chronicler of the absurdities of modern life. Today, his work is held in major institutional collections worldwide, including the Tate and the British Council.

The artist's practice translates the raw, spontaneous energy of his daily ink drawings into highly refined graphic editions. Each David Shrigley print preserves the deliberate imperfections and immediate charm of his original sketches while elevated by professional production standards. This tension between casual draftsmanship and formal presentation remains central to his widespread appeal.

Screenprint Process

Published in a highly sought-after edition of 125, the print utilizes an intricate 16 colour screenprint process that provides an incredibly rich, tactile surface density. Executed on heavy Somerset tub sized 410gsm paper, the ink application delivers a matte finish that highlights the contrast between the deep black ink of the bell and the vibrant yellow ground. This specific paper choice ensures archival stability while supporting the heavy ink layers required for such an intense saturation.

Collaborating with the renowned Jealous Gallery in London, the printing process faithfully replicates the subtle irregularities of the artist's hand-drawn lines. This meticulous translation ensures that each David Shrigley limited edition print retains the immediate, unfiltered quality of a fresh sketch. Through this partnership, the technical precision of fine art printing is harmonised with the loose, immediate style that defines the artist's graphic output.

Collectability

The market for these graphic editions has witnessed sustained collector interest, driven by the universal appeal of the artist's direct text-based imagery. Works featuring bold, singular declarations are particularly sought after by collectors for their immediate communicative power and graphic versatility. As a result, pieces that combine text with recognisable graphic icons consistently perform well on the international secondary market.

Representing a major colour work from his celebrated 2018 Jealous Gallery printmaking period, the piece remains a particularly desirable example of Shrigley's graphic practice. With its modest edition size and distinct palette, Don't represents an important moment in his mid-career printmaking output that continues to attract interest from global institutions and private collections alike.