David Shrigley, Life is Fantastic, 2016

Life is Fantastic (2016) – David Shrigley Screenprint

About the Work

Life is Fantastic (2016) is a striking David Shrigley screenprint that immediately arrests the viewer with its high-contrast palette and bold, graphic composition. The artwork features a crudely rendered, slate-blue hand delivering an oversized thumbs-up gesture, positioned against a background of radiant, saturated yellow. This chromatic tension amplifies the raw energy of the hand-drawn aesthetic, creating a powerful visual focal point.

By pairing a universally recognised symbol of affirmation with a deadpan textual declaration in Life is Fantastic, the artist invites viewers to question the simplicity of positive messaging in contemporary life. Positioned beside the graphic element, the hand-rendered text acts as an ironic monument to optimism, capturing the delicate line between sincere encouragement and existential absurdity. It is this psychological complexity, cloaked in visual playfulness, that gives the composition its lasting resonance.

David Shrigley

Nominated for the Turner Prize in 2013, David Shrigley has secured a distinguished position within the global contemporary art landscape through his dark humour and commentary on human nature. His celebrated public commissions include Really Good, the monumental bronze thumbs-up sculpture installed on Trafalgar Square's Fourth Plinth in 2016, and regular inclusions in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. Today, his works are held in the permanent collections of prestigious institutions worldwide, including Tate in London and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

The artist's practice translates the raw, immediate quality of daily drawing into highly sophisticated graphic editions that retain their original ink-on-paper vitality. Collectors are drawn to how each David Shrigley print democratises access to his distinctive worldview while preserving the idiosyncratic imperfections of his line work. Through this transition from private sketchbook to public gallery wall, his satirical observations gain a wider, shared cultural impact.

Screenprint Process

Released in a strictly limited edition, this specific release demonstrates the exceptional standards of high-end screenprinting on premium, heavy-weight Somerset paper. Multiple layers of richly pigmented, matte screenprint inks are applied sequentially to build up the depth of the yellow field and the textured grey-blue silhouette of the hand. This traditional physical stencilling method ensures that the final surface possesses a velvety, tactile finish that cannot be replicated by digital printing processes.

Published in conjunction with Stephen Friedman Gallery, the production of this David Shrigley limited edition print was closely supervised to faithfully capture the artist's original ink weight and deliberate line errors. The hand-printing process ensures the rich opacity of the black lettering remains crisp and distinct against the vibrant background colour. Such technical precision reinforces the print as a definitive example of his mid-career graphic output.

Collectability

Graphic works featuring Shrigley's most direct textual statements and signature motifs continue to attract sustained collector interest in the global secondary market. The universally relatable imagery of the thumbs-up, rendered in his signature counter-intuitive colour palette, makes this work immediately recognisable and highly sought after by international collectors. As his global exhibition profile continues to expand, these classic graphic statements remain central to his market strength.

Representing an important work from his celebrated 2016 institutional period, which coincided with his historic Fourth Plinth installation in London, the piece is a particularly desirable example of his printmaking practice. Given the modest edition size of just 125, opportunities to acquire this specific screenprint are increasingly scarce as examples are absorbed into private collections. Its direct conceptual link to his public art history ensures its enduring relevance for serious contemporary collections.