David Shrigley, 'Really Good' The Fourth Plinth Programme
'Really Good' by David Shrigley is a 7m-high sculpture of a hand giving a thumbs up sign. The sculpture was cast in bronze with the same dark patina as the other statues in Trafalgar Square, the comic extension of the thumb bringing it up to ten metres in height. Shrigley's ambition is that this will become a self-fulfilling prophecy; that things considered 'bad', such as the economy, the weather and society, will benefit from a change of consensus towards optomism.
The Fourth Plinth Programme invites international artists to make new works for the capital. Addressing the crowd at the unveiling Mr Shrigley said it was a "real privilege" to make the work. "It's a work about making the world a better place... which obviously is a ridiculous proposition, but I think it's a good proposition," he said.
As Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, expressed, "the positivity and humour evident in David Shrigley’s commission ‘Really Good’ truly encapsulates the spirit of London. What it represents is so important - optimism, positivity, the best of us. This sculpture is so important showing Londoners…tourists…that London is open." He added, "The changing artworks on Fourth Plinth continue to be a source of delight, discussion and debate and I am proud to be the mayor of a city that has such an energetic and vibrant cultural life."
