Artwork
Another Task for You
Another Task for You is a print by Shrigley. It dates from 2017 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
The print uses handwritten-style text with unclear images, a trick he often tries.
David Shrigley’s print *Another Task for You* plays with odd humor. The title alone makes you pause. The print uses handwritten-style text with unclear images, a trick he often tries.
This work came from a special series called *The Print and the Poem*. Shrigley made it for Enitharmon Editions and Jealous Print Studio. They printed it together in 2017.
See more like this at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Overview
Another Task for You is a 2017 print by British artist David Shrigley, produced as part of The Print and the Poem series. Created in collaboration between Enitharmon Editions and Jealous Print Studio, the work exemplifies Shrigley’s signature fusion of text and image. Its tone is dry and enigmatic, inviting contemplation through ambiguity rather than direct narrative.
Subject & Meaning
The title suggests an unresolved obligation, evoking bureaucratic or domestic drudgery. The accompanying image is deliberately vague—a loose, abstract form that resists clear interpretation. This disconnect between text and visual element generates a quiet, ironic tension, characteristic of Shrigley’s approach to humor rooted in the mundane and the absurd.
Technique & Style
Shrigley employs a hand-drawn aesthetic, mimicking the spontaneity of personal scribble. The text appears as if hastily inscribed, contrasting with the printed medium’s precision. The imagery is minimal and non-representational, relying on suggestion rather than detail. This deliberate crudeness underscores the work’s conceptual focus over formal polish.
History & Provenance
The print was produced in 2017 as part of a limited series commissioned by Enitharmon Editions and Jealous Print Studio. Each contribution in The Print and the Poem series paired contemporary artists with poetic or textual prompts. Shrigley’s contribution reflects his ongoing engagement with language as both subject and medium, and the work is held in institutional collections including the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Context
Shrigley’s work emerged from the UK’s post-punk art scene, where irony and anti-art sensibilities shaped a generation of creators. His use of text in visual art aligns with broader late-20th-century trends that blurred boundaries between literature and visual practice. The Print and the Poem series positioned him among peers exploring the intersection of everyday speech and artistic form.
Legacy
Another Task for You contributes to a body of work that redefined the role of text in contemporary printmaking. Shrigley’s influence is evident in how later artists use casual handwriting and deadpan humor to interrogate meaning. His approach has helped normalize the inclusion of linguistic ambiguity in fine art, expanding the vocabulary of visual communication beyond traditional imagery.
Artist & collection
Artist
Shrigley makes deadpan prints and drawings filled with awkward, small-scale figures caught in mundane tasks.
