david shrigley: brain activity at hayward gallery, london

installation view of ‘i’m dead’ by david shrigley , 2010 at the hayward gallery taxidermy puppy with wooden sign and acrylic paint image © the artist and courtesy of the artist image by linda nylind

david shrigley: brain activity southbank centre’s hayward gallery, london, UK february 1st to may 13th, 2012

an exhibition entitled ‘brain activity’ by macclesfield-born and glasgow-based artist david shrigley is on display at southbank centre’s hayward gallery in london. the despairingly comical nature of shrigley’s collection are decided by his use of death and dystopian themes of each piece. sculptures such as ‘i’m dead’ or ‘gravestone’ appreciate the nihilistic quality of a contemporary reality. ‘brain activity’ is a selection of works which dwell upon the notion of human failure as something to be understood as simultaneously unsettling and humorous.

detail view of ‘i’m dead’

‘ostrich’, 2009 image © the artist and stephen friedman gallery, london

‘gravestone’, 2008 image © the artist and stephen friedman gallery, london

‘river for sale’, 1999 image © the artist

‘pumpkin’, 1998 image © the artist

‘untitled’, 2011 courtesy of david shrigley and yvon lambert

‘we’re bananas’, 2011 courtesy of david shrigley and yvon lambert

‘david shrigley: brain activity- exhibition trailer’ by southbank centre