David Shrigley, Untitled (I Am Listening), 2020

Untitled (I Am Listening) (2020) – David Shrigley Screenprint

About the Work

Untitled (I Am Listening) (2020) is an arresting David Shrigley screenprint that confronts the viewer with a monumental, highly stylised pink ear rendered in bold outline. Set against a saturated, rich teal background, the fleshy forms of the auditory organ dominate the composition above the artist's signature handwritten text. This striking juxtaposition of organic form and flat, vibrant colour exemplifies the artist's ability to command immediate visual attention.

By isolating a single organ of perception and pairing it with the deadpan declaration, the composition explores the inherent absurdity of contemporary communication. The exaggerated scale of the ear suggests a performative readiness to receive information, yet the flat, blank spaces surrounding it hint at a profound sense of isolation. This tension transforms a simple anatomical drawing into a sharp commentary on the modern struggle to feel truly heard.

David Shrigley

Nominated for the Turner Prize in 2013, David Shrigley has secured an enduring legacy within the British contemporary art landscape. His public commissions, including the celebrated Fourth Plinth sculpture Really Good in Trafalgar Square, demonstrate a unique ability to engage diverse audiences with profound philosophical questions masked as simple observations. He remains a regular contributor to the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and is represented in major international museum collections worldwide.

At the core of his practice is the translation of spontaneous, immediate ink drawings into highly refined graphic editions. Each David Shrigley print preserves the raw, immediate energy of his original notebook sketches, elevating casual musings to monumental status. Through this deliberate transition from sketchbook to gallery wall, the artist highlights the beauty found within everyday cognitive dissonance.

Screenprint Process

Published by the renowned Jealous Gallery, this edition represents a masterclass in modern printmaking collaboration. The work utilises an intricate 12 colour screenprint process, applying layers of rich, opaque ink onto heavy Somerset tub sized white 410gsm paper to achieve unparalleled depth. This meticulous layering creates a velvety, matte finish that highlights the sharp contrast between the hand-drawn lettering and the vibrant background.

The printmakers at the Jealous studio have expertly preserved the tactile quality of the artist's original ink lines, ensuring that every deliberate imperfection is visible. This technical fidelity is central to the appeal of each David Shrigley limited edition print, offering collectors an authentic experience of the artist's immediate hand. The resulting surface possesses a physical presence that far exceeds the capabilities of standard digital reproduction methods.

Collectability

Works that feature prominent anatomical or text-based motifs consistently command strong collector interest due to their instant recognisability. Within the secondary market, compositions that combine a singular, bold graphic icon with a poignant phrase are highly sought after by international collectors. This particular motif exemplifies the signature style that has made his output a staple of contemporary art collections globally.

Representing a major colour work from his celebrated 2020 printmaking period, the piece remains a particularly desirable example of Shrigley's graphic output. With an edition size of just 125, Untitled (I Am Listening) represents a scarce opportunity to acquire a definitive visual statement from this era. This limited availability, coupled with continued collector interest in his large-scale graphic works, reinforces its position as a significant acquisition for discerning collectors.