I Will Not Allow The Dark Skies To Affect Me (2025) – David Shrigley Screenprint

About the Work

I Will Not Allow The Dark Skies To Affect Me (2025) is a striking David Shrigley screenprint that juxtaposes a defiant message of resilience against heavy, brooding storm clouds. Rendered in a sophisticated palette of deep slate grey, charcoal, and flashes of vivid yellow, the composition captures the artist's signature hand-drawn style with exceptional clarity. The dark, atmospheric background contrasts beautifully with the stark, hand-rendered text, creating an immediate visual tension.

This work taps into a profound sense of optimism, using the literal weather as a metaphor for psychological perseverance in the face of external adversity. By rendering the dark skies as stylized, almost humorous shapes, the composition strips the gloom of its power, transforming a moment of potential sadness into a declaration of personal agency. The deliberate spacing of the handwritten text acts as a structural anchor, balancing the weight of the dark cloud form above.

David Shrigley

Nominated for the Turner Prize in 2013, Shrigley has secured a singular position in contemporary art through his wry observations of the human condition. His celebrated public commissions, including the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square and solo exhibitions at the Royal Academy of Arts, have cemented his reputation globally. Examples of his work are held in prominent institutional collections worldwide, from Tate in London to the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Translating spontaneous ink line drawings into highly finished graphic editions remains central to his artistic practice. Each David Shrigley print acts as a subversive mirror to modern life, elevating seemingly simple doodles into powerful, universally understood social commentaries. Through this medium, the artist maintains his raw, immediate aesthetic while achieving a refined graphic presence.

Screenprint Process

Utilising an intricate stencil method, the production of this edition relies on an impressive 22-colour screenprint process that builds depth and texture through successive layers of ink. A subtle varnish overlay is applied precisely over the central forms, catching the light to create a delicate sheen that contrasts with the matte surface. The heavy Somerset tub-sized 410gsm paper provides a luxurious, tactile ground, ensuring the rich pigments remain extraordinarily vivid.

This painstaking method captures the exact nuances of the original ink stroke, preserving the vital energy of the artist's draftsmanship. Produced in collaboration with the renowned Jealous Gallery, this David Shrigley limited edition print exemplifies the high-calibre printmaking standards associated with his most sought-after releases. The collaboration ensures that every nuance of the original composition is translated onto the physical paper with absolute fidelity.

Collectability

Works that feature bold textual declarations alongside classic illustrative motifs consistently command strong secondary-market presence and collector interest. The graphic immediacy of I Will Not Allow The Dark Skies To Affect Me ensures its immediate legibility and continued appeal within contemporary collections. Collectors increasingly seek out these multi-colour compositions for their visual impact and quintessential dry wit.

Representing a major colour work from his highly anticipated 2025 printmaking period, the piece remains a particularly desirable example of the artist's contemporary output. With a relatively small edition size of just 125, this printed edition is poised to see continued interest from both established and emerging collectors worldwide. Its release marks a significant moment in the artist's recent print history, making it a highly collectable acquisition.

Artwork Specifications

• Artist: David Shrigley (British, b. 1968)
• Title: I Will Not Allow The Dark Skies To Affect Me
• Medium: 22 colour screenprint with varnish overlay on Somerset tub sized 410gsm paper
• Dimensions: 76 x 56 cm
• Edition: Edition of 125
• Year: 2025
• Publisher: Jealous Gallery
• Markings: Signed, numbered and dated on the back