I've Never Seen You (2020) – David Shrigley Screenprint

About the Work

I've Never Seen You (2020) is a striking David Shrigley screenprint that juxtaposes a vivid, cadmium-yellow background with a bizarre confrontation between two stylised beasts. Executed in eleven distinct layers of ink, the central composition depicts a large, shaggy blue creature with piercing green eyes staring down at a minuscule, lime-green avian figure. The flat, saturated yellow field intensifies the psychological tension of this surreal encounter, capturing a moment of profound visual arrest.

By pairing this bizarre animal meeting with the handwritten declaration, "I've Never Seen You", the composition channels an exquisite sense of existential absurdity. This deadpan statement highlights the comedy of missed connections and cognitive dissonance, where the scale disparity between the blue giant and the tiny bird underlines the sheer impossibility of mutual recognition. Shrigley utilises this bizarre zoological dialogue to mirror the arbitrary nature of human social interactions.

David Shrigley

Nominated for the Turner Prize in 2013, David Shrigley has secured an indelible position in contemporary British art through his celebrated public commissions and institutional exhibitions. His monumental Fourth Plinth commission in Trafalgar Square, alongside his regular inclusion in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, underscores his wide-ranging cultural resonance. Today, his works are held in prestigious international museum collections, including Tate and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Translating the raw immediacy of his sketchbook drawings into highly finished graphic editions remains a core focus of his creative practice. Each David Shrigley print acts as a subversive cultural mirror, distilling complex emotional states into starkly humorous graphic shorthand. The transfer of his signature ink drawings to the screenprinting medium preserves the urgent, hand-drawn quality that collectors immediately recognise.

Screenprint Process

Utilising heavy Somerset satin tub sized 410gsm paper as a structural foundation, the physical weight of the stock lends an archival presence to this complex graphic work. The application of eleven separate ink passes results in remarkably rich, velvety colour fields, accented by a subtle gloss varnish overlay that selectively catches the light. This meticulous layer-by-layer screenprinting technique provides the composition with a tactile depth rarely achievable in commercial printing.

Produced in collaboration with the renowned London print studio Jealous Gallery, the production process perfectly captures the fluid brushstrokes and deliberate imperfections of the artist's original drawing. This David Shrigley limited edition print exemplifies how master printers can translate spontaneous mark-making into a refined, high-contrast graphic edition. The resulting print preserves the intense saturation of the yellow field while maintaining the crispness of the black hand-drawn text.

Collectability

Driven by the artist's international profile, there is sustained collector interest in works that feature his iconic, anthropomorphic animal subjects. Collectors consistently prioritise these highly recognisable compositions because they epitomise his celebrated brand of dry, satirical humour. His graphic works enjoy a robust secondary-market presence, making them highly sought-after acquisitions globally.

Representing a highly coveted animal motif from his celebrated 2020 printmaking period, the piece remains a particularly desirable example of Shrigley's graphic practice. With an edition size restricted to just 125, this work offers notable scarcity compared to his larger poster releases. This limited availability ensures its enduring appeal among discerning collectors of contemporary printmaking.

Artwork Specifications

• Artist: David Shrigley (British, b. 1968)
• Title: I've Never Seen You
• Medium: 11 colour screenprint with a varnish overlay on Somerset satin tub sized 410gsm paper
• Dimensions: 75 x 56 cm
• Edition: Edition of 125
• Year: 2020
• Publisher: Jealous Gallery
• Markings: Signed and numbered on the back
• Provenance: Sold with COA issued by Jealous Gallery