LONDON.- The new commission for the Fourth Plinth, Really Good by artist David Shrigley, was unveiled by the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan this morning, Thursday 29 September, in London’s Trafalgar Square.

Commissioned by the Mayor of London as part of the Fourth Plinth Programme, Really Good is the eleventh sculpture to stand on Trafalgar Square’s celebrated plinth. It is the first major public art commission to be unveiled by the new Mayor.

Really Good sees a seven-metre-high hand giving a thumbs up. Cast in bronze, with the same dark patina as the other statues in Trafalgar Square, the thumb is disproportionately long. Shrigley’s ambition is that this simple gesture 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 positivity.

Born in 1968 in Macclesfield, David Shrigley lives and works in Brighton. His work draws on the British tradition of satire, creating drawings, animations and sculptures that reflect the absurdity of contemporary society. He has had recent solo exhibitions at Auckland Arts Festival, New Zealand (2015); National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne (2014-15); Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich (2014); Bradford 1 Gallery (2013); Cornerhouse Gallery (2012), Hayward Gallery, London (2012); Yerba Beuna Centre for the Arts, San Francisco (2012); and Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow (2010). Shrigley’s Pass the Spoon was performed at Tramway, Glasgow, and Southbank Centre, London (2011-12), and he was nominated for the Turner Prize in 2013. On 8 September 2016, Public Art Fund unveiled MEMORIAL, a monumental new sculpture for New York City’s Central Park that celebrates one of the most mundane acts of our daily lives – the writing of a shopping list (on view until 12 February). His solo exhibition Lose Your Mind is currently being toured by the British Council internationally.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I am delighted to unveil David Shrigley’s Really Good. The giant thumbs up is wonderfully optimistic, it shows that London is open to the world and that we remain full of creativity and positivity. Shrigley’s distinct talent is his ability to capture the imaginations of people of all ages and backgrounds and I know this will be an incredibly successful commission, adding to London’s status as a cultural powerhouse.

“The Fourth Plinth reflects the best of London in so many ways – it is creative, pioneering, surprising and a delight for the millions of Londoners and visitors from across the globe who visit Trafalgar Square every year.”

Ekow Eshun, Chair of the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group, said: “This is the 11th sculpture on the fourth plinth, and demonstrates our commitment to bringing the work of leading national and international artists to London. David Shrigley has created a powerful work, rich with humour and insight about modern Britain, that will be enjoyed by everyone that sees it.”