In 2012-13, Bradford Museums & Galleries worked with Shrigley on an exhibition of works on paper at Bradford 1 Gallery. This extremely popular show was accompanied by an illustrated talk by Shrigley, which was the most successful and oversubscribed to date.
The Contemporary Art Society gift of three drawings by Shrigley makes the most of the success of Cartwright Hall Art Gallery’s existing relationship with the artist. It also reinforces the collection’s particular strength in the area of works on paper. Cartwright Hall’s collection was initially shaped by gifts from local textile manufacturers who were particularly interested in contemporary British and French artists. Many of the drawings in the collection were acquired in the 1920s and 1930s when there was a policy of collecting drawings by British artists. Cartwright Hall is extending this early remit by acquiring a selection of three of Shrigley’s drawings: a humorous drawing, a text-based work and a more figurative piece.