David Shrigley, Point At The Sun, 2025

Point At The Sun (2025) – David Shrigley Screenprint

About the Work

Point At The Sun (2025) is a striking David Shrigley etching that demonstrates the artist's acute ability to find profound meaning in the radically simple. This work features a boldly drawn hand gesturing towards a vibrant, heavily inked yellow sun, rendered against a minimalist backdrop that focuses all attention on the central action. The stark contrast between the black line work and the radiant primary yellow hue elevates this graphic composition into a powerful visual statement.

By instructing the viewer to perform an impossible, potentially blinding act, the composition taps into a characteristic sense of absurdity. The physical gap between the pointing finger and the celestial body serves as a poignant metaphor for human ambition colliding with cosmic realities. Shrigley utilises this humorous tension to explore how we navigate daily directives and existential scale.

David Shrigley

As a celebrated Turner Prize nominee and Royal Academy Academician, David Shrigley has secured an indelible position in contemporary British art. His monumental Fourth Plinth commission in Trafalgar Square solidified his reputation for translating deadpan social commentary into highly visible public interventions. Today, his works are held in prestigious institutional collections worldwide, including Tate and the British Council.

The transition of his celebrated drawing practice into the graphic medium has created a highly influential body of multiples. Each David Shrigley print acts as a direct conduit to his unfiltered thoughts, preserving the energetic immediacy of his original ink drawings. While he is widely recognised for his graphic screenprinting, his tactile explorations in etching offer a more intimate engagement with his line work.

Screenprint Process

Focusing on the tactile quality of the medium, this etching utilises heavy Somerset textured paper to give the impression a distinct physical presence. The printmaking process involves deeply biting the copper plate to hold rich black ink, which sits in subtle relief against the pristine paper surface. A hand-applied layer of rich yellow pigment defines the sun, providing a satin finish that catches the light differently from the surrounding matte paper.

This meticulous transfer of spontaneous draftsmanship onto a copper plate highlights why each David Shrigley limited edition print is so highly regarded. Published in collaboration with the renowned Borch Editions in Copenhagen, the edition preserves the delicate plate tone and subtle press marks unique to hand-pulled works. The classic screenprint editions in his catalogue share this devotion to colour fidelity, but his intimate etchings allow for a deeper appreciation of his hand-drawn line.

Collectability

Acquiring a work with such iconic imagery represents an exceptional opportunity, as hand-signed editions from this period continue to generate immense collector interest. Works that feature celestial motifs and direct human gestures are highly sought after for their immediate visual impact. This graphic clarity ensures that the composition stands out as an exemplary representation of the artist's visual vocabulary.

Representing an important work from his highly regarded 2025 institutional period, Point At The Sun is produced in a remarkably small edition of just 20 examples. This restricted edition size makes the work significantly scarcer than his larger screenprints, ensuring its continued appeal among discerning collectors. As his international market continues to mature, such exclusive printed editions remain highly prized.