Everything Is Fine (2023) – David Shrigley Screenprint

About the Work

Everything Is Fine (2023) is a striking David Shrigley screenprint that masterfully juxtaposes high-key colour with existential dread. Featuring a bizarre, multi-legged orange creature set against a clean backdrop, the composition utilises fifteen distinct hand-drawn colour layers to construct its vibrant, slightly unsettling visual landscape. The hand-rendered text floating above the frantic beast delivers the titular declaration, immediately establishing the artist's signature dark humour.

Through this jarring combination, the work taps into a deep sense of modern anxiety, presenting a facade of calm that is hilariously undermined by the grotesque subject below. This tension between the reassuring words and the chaotic visual form encapsulates the absurdities of contemporary life. By presenting the viewer with such an overt contradiction, the piece invites a cathartic laugh at our collective coping mechanisms.

David Shrigley

As a Turner Prize nominee and the celebrated creator of the Fourth Plinth commission, David Shrigley occupies a unique position in contemporary British art. His celebrated participation in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and representation in major museum collections worldwide, including Tate and the British Council, confirm his enduring institutional authority. These accolades underscore his transition from a counter-culture cartoonist to a highly influential figure in the global art market.

Translating his spontaneous line drawings into graphic masterpieces, each David Shrigley print retains the raw, immediate energy of his original notebook sketches. Through a sophisticated handling of flat colour and bold text, the artist transforms everyday neuroses into universally accessible monuments of wit. His works consistently bridge the gap between high-art institutional critique and popular culture.

Screenprint Process

Released in an exclusive limited edition of 125, this 15 colour screenprint demonstrates an exceptional level of technical execution, utilising a multi-layered ink build-up on heavy Somerset satin tub sized 410gsm paper. The application of a glossy varnish overlay onto the central creature creates a subtle, tactile contrast against the matte surface of the paper. This meticulous production method ensures that the saturated orange and red tones retain their intense, graphic vibrancy over time.

The demanding screenprinting process, executed by the master printers at Jealous Gallery, perfectly translates the artist's immediate, hand-drawn lines into a crisp and enduring physical medium. By layering dense silkscreen inks, the studio captures the precise weight and wobble of the original pen strokes, ensuring this David Shrigley limited edition print carries the same graphic power as his original drawing. This collaboration between publisher and artist elevates a simple humorous sketch into a highly crafted, museum-quality object.

Collectability

Driven by continued collector interest, the market for these graphic editions remains exceptionally robust on the secondary art market. The most recognisable imagery, specifically works combining his signature black typography with eccentric animal figures, historically commands the highest level of demand. Consequently, acquisitions of these key graphic editions are increasingly prioritised by contemporary art collections.

Representing a major colour work from his highly active 2023 printmaking period, Everything Is Fine stands as a particularly desirable example of his acclaimed visual vocabulary. Because of the modest edition size and the complexity of the fifteen-colour screenprint process, the piece occupies an esteemed position within his recent output. This combination of visual charm and production scarcity ensures the print remains a cornerstone of the artist's contemporary market presence.

Artwork Specifications

• Artist: David Shrigley (British, b. 1968)
• Title: Everything Is Fine
• Medium: 15 colour screenprint with a varnish overlay on Somerset satin tub sized 410gsm
• Dimensions: 75 x 56 cm
• Edition: Edition of 125
• Year: 2023
• Publisher: Shrig Shop
• Markings: Signed and numbered on the back