David Shrigley, This Wall Belongs To Me, 2014

This Wall Belongs To Me (2014) – David Shrigley Screenprint

About the Work

This Wall Belongs To Me (2014) is a compelling print by David Shrigley that employs his signature monochrome aesthetic to explore themes of boundary and possession. Featuring a crudely rendered brick wall in stark black ink against a crisp white background, the composition relies on raw minimalism to command attention. Above the uneven masonry, the hand-rendered title text of This Wall Belongs To Me hovers like a petulant declaration of ownership.

By reducing a complex geopolitical and social construct to a simple line drawing, the work operates as a pointed social observation on human territoriality. The physical fragility of the hand-drawn bricks directly undermines the authoritative claim of the text, highlighting the inherent absurdity of declaring private domain over space. This tension between the fragile medium and the aggressive message captures the artist's celebrated ability to provoke introspection through apparent simplicity.

David Shrigley

Nominated for the Turner Prize in 2013, David Shrigley has secured an enduring position in British contemporary art through his wry commentary on daily life. His celebrated public commissions, notably the Fourth Plinth sculpture Really Good in Trafalgar Square, have cemented his reputation as a vital cultural commentator. His works are held in prestigious public institutions worldwide, including the Tate and the British Council Collection.

Translating his immediate, raw ink drawings into the graphic realm requires a meticulous approach to maintain the urgency of the original mark. Each David Shrigley print acts as a direct conduit to his sketchbook, preserving the deliberate imperfections and ink bleeds that define his graphic output. This translation from private notebook to public edition forms the core of his democratic artistic philosophy.

Screenprint Process

Published in collaboration with Stephen Friedman Gallery, this graphic work demonstrates a superb command of traditional printmaking techniques to replicate the artist's original ink-on-paper feel. The rich black ink is applied with exceptional density onto heavyweight archival paper, ensuring the hand-drawn lines retain their tactile quality. While he frequently utilises the screenprint method to achieve flat fields of saturated colour, this lithographic release prioritises the rich, textured grain of fine art printing.

The traditional lithographic process chosen for this release captures the exact pressure and spontaneous speed of the artist's hand. This exquisite David Shrigley limited edition print was produced under close supervision of the print studio to guarantee that the stark contrast of the monochrome ink remains crisp over time. Through these refined production standards, the edition elevates a seemingly casual doodle into a museum-grade collector piece.

Collectability

Works featuring bold declarations and architectural motifs command significant collector interest on the secondary market. The simplicity of the composition, combined with his instantly recognisable imagery, makes this edition highly sought after by international collectors. This enduring appeal is bolstered by the artist's frequent return to themes of domesticity, bureaucracy, and public space.

Representing an important text piece from his highly active 2014 printmaking period, the work remains a particularly desirable example of his conceptual practice. Given the limited edition run, opportunities to acquire this specific print have decreased, generating continued collector interest whenever it appears at auction. It stands as a vital acquisition for those seeking to represent his text-driven satire within a contemporary collection.