David Shrigley’s artwork “Before You Can Entertain” presents a deceptively simple image layered with philosophical depth and wry humor. Known for his instantly recognizable, almost childlike drawing style and blunt, text-based statements, Shrigley uses this piece to deliver a compact but powerful message about creativity, self-awareness, and the origins of entertainment.

The visual composition centers on two large, flatly rendered pink hands, depicted in a stiff and somewhat clumsy style that intentionally rejects anatomical precision. These hands are positioned in a familiar gesture—one used to create a rabbit shadow puppet. Despite the crude simplicity of the drawing, the gesture is immediately identifiable, evoking a sense of playfulness and nostalgia. To the right of the hands, cast on an unseen surface, is the dark navy silhouette of a rabbit, perfectly formed and easily recognized. This shadow serves as a literal projection of imagination and self-entertainment, turning a mundane action into a moment of visual magic.

Above and below the image is Shrigley’s characteristic text, scrawled in a rough, hand-written red font. The upper portion reads, “BEFORE YOU CAN ENTERTAIN OTHERS,” while the lower portion finishes the thought: “YOU MUST FIRST LEARN TO ENTERTAIN YOURSELF.” The words feel spontaneous, almost as if they were hastily written in a notebook margin or scrawled on a wall. This informality enhances the work’s directness—it doesn’t speak down to the viewer or wrap its message in artifice. Instead, it communicates with the urgency and honesty of a passing thought that suddenly feels profound.

Thematically, the piece operates on several levels. On the surface, it’s a humorous reminder of the importance of self-sufficiency in creativity. The act of making shadow puppets is a solitary, low-tech form of entertainment, something often done by children or in moments of boredom. Shrigley repositions it here as an act of introspective joy, a metaphor for cultivating one’s inner world before seeking external validation or applause.

More deeply, the artwork seems to advocate for a personal relationship with art and imagination. In an age where so much entertainment is consumed passively, Shrigley champions the idea that creation starts within. The hands are not just forming a shape; they are conjuring an idea, giving life to something out of nothing. The rabbit, while only a shadow, is an outcome of this process—fleeting, insubstantial, but meaningful.

There’s also an implied critique of performance culture. In suggesting that one must first learn to entertain oneself, Shrigley flips the usual outward-facing pressure to please others. Instead, he asserts that true entertainment, like genuine creativity or fulfillment, stems from an internal source. The humor, then, is a softening device, allowing the piece to nudge the viewer toward self-reflection without alienating them.

Visually minimalist but conceptually rich, “Before You Can Entertain” exemplifies Shrigley’s ability to package profound ideas in light-hearted, seemingly naive forms. It invites the viewer to reconsider the value of simplicity, the joys of solitude, and the role of self-directed creativity in both art and life. What may at first glance appear as a quirky drawing of hands and a shadow becomes, on closer inspection, a philosophical statement about where meaning—and indeed, entertainment—truly begins.

Before you can entertain is an original artwork by David Shrigley and a signature print by the Englishman. David Shrigley’s quick-witted drawings and hand-rendered text are typically deadpan in their humor, revealing random utterances like snippets of overheard conversations. Recurring themes and thoughts run through his narratives, capturing childlike views of the world, the perspective of aliens and monsters, or the compulsive habits of a loud-screaming eavesdropper. While drawing is central to his practice, Shrigley also works in a wide range of media, including sculpture, large-scale installation, animation, painting, photography, and music. Shrigley is always looking to expand his audience by operating outside the gallery sphere, including through the production of artist publications and collaborative music projects.

David Shrigley’s works are held in major international collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA; the Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois, USA; the Museum Ludwig, Cologne, Germany; the Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, Germany; the Statens Museum für Kunst, Copenhagen, Denmark; the Thyssen-Bornemisza Foundation for Contemporary Art, Vienna, Austria; the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, Scotland; the Tate, London, England; and the British Council, London, England; the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia.