‘Everything Must Have a Name’ by David Shrigley

What’s it about?

‘Everything Must Have a Name’ is the book that accompanied artist David Shrigley’s exhibition held at Malmö Konsthall in 2007. It was his first retrospective solo exhibition in Northern Europe. Shrigley is known for his black-and-white ink drawings with their distinct, amateur-looking style. Besides his drawings, a number of sculptures, inkjet prints, monotypes, T-shirt prints, films, photographs and books were brought together for the ‘Everything Must Have a Name’ exhibition. The purpose of the exhibition was to present David Shrigley’s extensive work and to showcase the unique art he has created for T-shirts, coffee mugs, album covers, greeting cards, music videos and the like. In 1991, Shrigley’s first book, ‘Slug Trails’, was released. It was followed by numerous other books featuring his satirical and black-humour drawings. Shrigley’s works are supposed to be taken for what they are: messages. ‘Everything Must Have a Name’ features pictures of the various exhibits, giving readers the opportunity to enjoy the art exhibition at home.

Why did we select this book?

The ‘Everything Must Have a Name’ exhibition was a huge success in 2007, drawing numerous visitors to Malmö Konsthall. The book is a perfect choice for those who missed the chance to travel to Sweden and experience the event as well as those who can never get enough of David Shrigley’s art. The pictures will make readers feel they were there in person.