I Am The Jug You are The Glas

I am the jug; you are the glass You are the jug, I am the glass We are both jugs There are no glasses We are both glasses There is no jug

I Am The Jug You Are The Glass is a collection of 316 drawings and 28 poems that reflect on humanity, mortality and society. The book is divided into eight chapters, each dedicated to a specific theme. The book opens with Questions and progresses to cover topics such as Behaviour, The Natural Order and Ailments, concluding on a positive note with Give Thanks and finally Answers.

While the book gathers works that span the last four years, the majority was made during the lockdown periods of 2020 and 2021. Within them there is inevitably a response to the covid 19 pandemic that was happening at the time. This was a productive period for the artist but there was also the very present undercurrent of anxiety, which so many people were feeling. The process of making these drawings served as a form of therapy for David Shrigley:

“Making the drawings made me feel better, so I guess there is something positive about it, in amongst that anxiety and angst.” he says.

David Shrigley has been making books ever since first leaving art school in 1991 - pre-internet, the book was the original format through which he disseminated his work. As an art school graduate with limited resources, it was possible to say everything he wanted through drawings and could produce them with little money and without the need for a studio.

“I really like the form of the book, it’s very accessible. Everyone knows how to read a book, no-one is intimidated by a book, especially not a book of funny drawings.”