David
Shrigley

In February of 2023, British artist David Shrigley achieved his auction record with Memorial, A Five-Metre monument reminiscent of a war memorial yet features the most standard engravings: a shopping list. When creating the work, Shrigley asked his friends to compile their shopping lists and edited down more ‘posh’ items so that the ending results were the most standard everyday items. Memorial was a public art commission demonstrating his ability to create site-specific and engaging works accessible to broad audiences and contribute to the surrounding community. The work sold for $165,100 (fees included).

Regardless of the implication, whether used as a diplomatic form of approval or assurance, “it's ok” is a universally accepted and understood phrase. Shrigley's, Untitled (It’s Ok) sold at Sotheby’s New York in March of 2016 for $44,100, landing its place as the second most expensive artwork by Shrigley ever sold. During an interview, Shrigley once said, “As an artist, you have to believe that your work makes the world a better place on some level,” which is the exact message this particular work sends. There is no complex message embedded in the work. It is non-exhaustive, artwork stripped down to its most transparent state, reminding viewers that: It’s Ok.

Tea, a traditional English favourite, is a social ritual often associated with light snacks, cakes, and scones. Therefore, it is unsurprising that this work was included in Sotheby’s Made In Britain sale, realising a price of £18,900 and standing as his third highest selling work. Unlike his usual screen prints, this work is a black-and-white photograph of a classic teapot. From an art historical perspective, this could be interpreted as a still life. The monochromatic print suggests the history of tea. Yet, Shrigley has transformed this into a contemporary work of art and commentary on a material item and embedded with humour and irony, as he has deliberately scribbled out the teapot with black marker and has written directly underneath 'NO TEA’. As much of his art, the interpretation is left to the viewer and boasts the question, could you live without tea?