David Shrigley Ace playing cards

David Shrigley is an artist and illustrator, born 1968 in Macclesfield and now living in Glasgow. His entry in Artnet describes him as “a contemporary British artist with an internationally renowned drawing practice. Shrigley’s work is humorous, interspersed with his witty observations and written commentary that satirizes everyday life and awkward interactions. He works loosely and improvisationally”. He has been nominated for the Turner Prize and his prints are available from the Tate Gallery shop.

Among his many artistic endeavours is this pack of playing cards, dated 2014, simply entitled “Ace playing cards”. It is a collaboration between the artist and Third Drawer Down. These cards are a revolt against modern deck formats with only black suits in the entire pack. Every spade, heart, diamond and club all match the colour of Shrigley's sense of humour. As labelled on the box, this set of cards is 'NOT FOR IDIOTS'. The courts are non-standard and cartoon in nature, though very colourful, while the pips are arranged in a non-standard pattern. See the box►

Above: David Shrigley’s Ace playing cards, United Kingdom, 2014.

(This review first appeared in The English Playing Card Society magazine, issue 125, June 2019, p.21).