Although the above is not a portrait of a person, I do believe it is a portrait of an object. This is the work of David Shrigley a British artist who works with a range of mediums to present his different animation, paintings, photography, sculptures and drawings. The piece created in 2002 is entitled ‘Hot Dog’, and shows a hot dog laid on the bed under the covers. The photography quality appears quite low and may have been done with a film camera giving it a graining effect, which adds a sort of gritty atmosphere. The resolution of the image is low, and vibrant colouring has not been added to the photograph. It does add a more natural effect, and could have been done to make the image although unrealistic appear similar to a human if in the same situation.
The photograph is quite small only 400 x 300mm. Taking up most of the image is the bed and the floor, with the small hot dog character upon the bed. Using lightly coloured fabric for the bed sheets allows for the hot dog to stand out because of its brown colour, and therefore will stand out against the white.
The image is quite surreal, and Shrigley has personified the hot dog putting it in human situations. Little googly eyes have been put on to the hot dog, giving it facial features, this add humour to the photograph and I thin kit works well. The work of David Shrigley is often humorous, and quirky.
I really like his style of work in particular his illustrations and photography. Shrigley’s work is quite individual and stands out. I like how Shrigley mixes humour and art, and it works well. I think Shrigley will influence my work, because when looking at ‘Encounters, Experiences and Meetings’ the theme of the exam, Shrigley’s work is often focusing on subjects relating to the theme. I will also look further into his illustration work, because I like the style of his work. Below are more examples of Shrigley's photography work.
