David Shrigley, I Will Not Be Ridden, 2024

I Will Not Be Ridden (2024) – David Shrigley Woodcut

About the Work

I Will Not Be Ridden (2024) is a striking David Shrigley woodcut on Somerset 300gsm paper that captures the artist's signature subversive charm through bold, relief-printed lines. This specific composition features a stark, monochrome depiction of a defiant, horse-like animal rendered in dense black ink against a warm, textured off-white background. The raw, gouged texture of the block print adds a tactile depth that contrasts sharply with the flat graphic nature of a typical screenprint.

Infused with a sense of pure absurdity, I Will Not Be Ridden pairs the crude depiction of the quadruped with the handwritten declaration of the title running across the top of the frame. This defiant text transforms the animal into an emblem of stubborn resistance, subverting traditional equestrian portraiture through deliberate stylistic awkwardness. The deliberately heavy-handed carving lines underscore this refusal to conform, making the creature's anatomical instability a key element of its comic power.

David Shrigley

Nominated for the Turner Prize in 2013, David Shrigley has secured a distinguished position in contemporary British art through his wry observations of daily life. His celebrated public commissions, notably the monumental Really Good thumbs-up sculpture for Trafalgar Square's Fourth Plinth, alongside his election as a Royal Academician, reflect his deep institutional recognition. Major museum collections worldwide, including Tate and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, actively hold his work in their permanent displays.

The artist's expansive graphic output relies on translating the spontaneous energy of his pen-and-ink drawings into the structured realms of printmaking. Acquiring a David Shrigley print offers collectors an unmediated encounter with his biting cultural commentary, preserving the immediate, sketch-like quality of his original concepts. Through these editions, the ephemeral nature of his daily drawings is given a permanent, highly tactile physical form.

Screenprint Process

Embracing the physical limitations of the relief medium, this particular edition utilises the dense, tactile quality of woodblock printing on heavy Somerset 300gsm paper to elevate the graphic weight of the line. The rich black ink sits heavily upon the paper fibres, creating a debossed texture quite distinct from the flat ink layers seen in a traditional David Shrigley limited edition screenprint. The absence of multiple screenprinted colours or varnish overlays prioritises the raw, expressive gouges left by the carving tool, exposing the honest mechanics of the printmaking process.

Collaborating with master printers at Schaefer Grafik, the artist ensures that the translation from drawing to block retains its urgent, unfiltered vitality. While his screenprinting work relies on flat, saturated colours, this woodcut edition relies on the subtle imperfections of the ink transfer to capture the spontaneity of the original line. The resulting work stands as a testament to how traditional printmaking can preserve the intimate, hand-wrought charm that defines his broader oeuvre.

Collectability

Driven by his unique ability to lampoon contemporary anxieties, collector interest in the artist's graphic works remains exceptionally robust. Editions featuring his highly recognisable animal subjects are particularly sought after, owing to their instant visual impact and universal narrative appeal. This continued collector interest is reinforced by the accessibility of his graphic output, which bridges the gap between high art institutions and popular culture.

Representing a rare animal motif from his celebrated 2024 Schaefer Grafik printmaking period, the piece remains a particularly desirable example of Shrigley's printmaking practice, especially given its exceptionally small edition size of just 30. Unlike his larger edition releases, this highly restricted print run enhances its long-term desirability within the secondary market. Collectors value these lower-edition woodcuts as distinct departures from his more common screenprints, ensuring their place in curated contemporary portfolios.