Among the many Scottish artists I came to appreciate and sometimes adore during my time in Glasgow, David Shrigley always managed to stand out by stint of his underwhelming style in the midst of the high-concept conversation happening around him. His drawings are simple and wryly comical - think of a slightly more rude Marcel Dzama - and the sort of things one was more likely to encounter in his many small-format low-fi artist books than in a gallery setting.
Perhaps because of this sometimes-crass accessibility, I found myself surprisingly un-annoyed to discover his commissioned animation to promote Pringle of Scotland’s brand for Milan Fashion Week (and it seems Pringle of Scotland has a thing for artist’s commissions, given that their website opens with a Ryan McGinley film in which a befrocked Tilda Swinton gets all touchy-feely with a pristine Scottish ruin). This is the sort of commercial endeavour that would normally leave me a bit cold, but his simplistic drawing style combined with the hilarious narration manages to undermine the high-fashion intention altogether, creating something that is still an undeniably effective promotional tool.
Count me convinced. And hankering for damp Scottish weather and a nice wooly jumper besides.
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