fabrica gallery: life model II by david shrigley

Concept and art direction for David Shrigley's Life Model II exhibition as part of Brighton Festival 2018. Shown at Fabrica Gallery, Brighton, UK April - May 2018.

Fabrica is a contemporary art gallery in Brighton, UK which shows three installations per year. 

Life Model II (2016) is the latest iteration of Shrigley's ongoing Life Model project. It tackles the
enduring art historical subject of the artist and model, and the related scenario of the life drawing
class, in which students hone their skills. Subverting this mainstay of art school curricula, Shrigley
swaps the traditional live model with a disproportionate sculptural version and transforms the
exhibition space into a classroom. Visitors become participants and their drawings add to the
exhibition, challenging conventional expectations of authorship. Through this participatory project,
Shrigley questions the cult of artistic genius, plays with power and gender dynamics, and reveals
the inevitable breakdown in representation between imitation and imagination.

The design utilises his Shrigley's own handwritten typeface and reflects the branding of Brighton Festival 2018 and his role as Guest Director.

Extrapolating a drawing of a model from one of existing works allows the print materials and wall graphics to directly show the playfulness of the work and allows viewers - especially children - to instantly connect with Shrigley's own distinctive style.

The Shrigley typeface is paired with a round sans-serif typeface to increase readability (thus allowing the information to be as accessible as possible) but keep the lightness of touch that informs the work.

Each guide features 2 works by David Shrigley allowing gallery visitors a nice memento of their time with his work.