Year 3 Degree Project by Elaine Hedges

Grayson Perry

Perry is a contemporary artist that uses craft materials in his work. From his pots, such as the Huhne Vase(2014) and We’ve Found the Body of Your Child (2000), which are reminiscent of Greek pottery in the way they are presented and which depict the narratives that Perry creates. His series of tapestries such as The Vanity of Small Differences, which features six tapestries. Influenced by Hogarth’s 18th century series, A Rakes Progress (1733), Perry has created a narrative in each piece which has been influenced by contemporary society.

I really enjoy how Perry presents his work, very inconspicuously and innocent, but once you look more closely it is incredibly lurid and crude. It gives his work a sense of hilarity in what is usually seen as a very serious media.

Take his most recent piece, The Huhne Vase (2014).  Reminiscent of Greek pottery in colour and style, it depicts the disgraced politician Chris Huhne who was jailed for attempting to pervert the course of justice by asking his wife to take the blame for a speeding penalty. The vase depicts the politician’s face numerous times, car tyres, his personalised number plate and a phallus each encircling the pot in a repetitive pattern. All of these are symbolic of Huhne.  The phallus being a universal sign of masculinity and the personalised number plate which names him but also symbolises a car.

As part of a channel4 series produced by Perry he states that ‘He represents what I call Default Man,” said Perry. “A white, middle-class, middle-aged, heterosexual man, an identity group that hides in plain sight.” (Perry, 2014)

Channel4.com, (2014). Grayson Perry reveals artworks as part of Channel 4 series on identity – Channel 4 – Info – Press. [online] Available at: http://www.channel4.com/info/press/news/grayson-perry-reveals-artworks-as-part-of-channel-4-series-on-identity

Perry has a very mixed reaction to this work as he identifies as a ‘Default Man’ and yet he doesn’t want to be associated with it because of what it symbolises. Perry’s work is a rollercoaster of concept, emotional and intimacy which always resonates with the viewer deeply. This is the type of art I really enjoy as it makes a lasting impression

His exhibition, The Tomb of the unknown Craftsman caught my attention as the title is pretty self explanatory. He curated his own works alongside a variety of hand chosen piece from the British museum and created this vast exhibition of completely unknown makers. Its most interesting as the artist of works are usually known in art galleries, but the British museum is not an art gallery. And so these works live on without a maker and are identified as craft and the people who made them as craftsman.

The difference between an artist and a craftsman is an interesting debate which I discussed in my dissertation. There are arguments that in contemporary society and art conceptual artists are forced to choose between identifying as craftsman or artists when they use a craft media.

I don’t feel this is the case, from what I’ve seen craft is becoming more popular in art because artists are adopting old school methods of experimenting with their work.  Perry is one such artists that has always positioned himself on the cusp of art and craft.

I’ve found a variety of patterns in Islamic art, often in their architecture and especially in their religious places. This is because their god cannot be drawn or portrayed and so instead they use the concept of infinity in their patterns to portray their god as infinite.

The museum of the Arab World in Paris is a prime example on how Middle Eastern art is affected by pattern and repetition due to the appearance of the building. It has the same repetitive and distinctive pattern around every area of the building, a constant symmetrical flow that doesn’t end.

Pattern is also used in Christian churches, in the architecture, the wood work or stone work and all over the textiles. It is also common in Biblical art, textiles and stained glass windows.

Examples I’ve found are panoramic views of Church ceilings and fish eye perspectives which show Repetitive and symmetrical Patterns. All of them are distinctive and inspiring because of the range of patterns, colours and places that they come from which influence them.

For my Paper cuts I have focused on the theme of repeatable patterns. I’m very interested in the construct of symmetry and mathematical pattern making as it means I can create an infinite possibility of pattern through my work.

It is something that can be layered again and again, intersecting and interweaving with each consecutive layer of paper. It also gives me freedom to work with different sizes which is can also be made infinitely larger because of my paper media.

This Theme of Pattern and Repetition is influenced by Islamic, Christian and Gothic art from a variety of sources. Such as Architecture, Textiles, Gates, Stained Glass windows, as well as a variety of Artists.

Islamic Art in particular has influenced me because of its basis on the concept of infinity. Their patterns and designs are often portraying this concept and due to this, repetition is heavily used.

After much deliberation and time spent on it, I’ve decided this piece is now complete. I was originally going to put many more layers on top and underneath the black layer, but when looking at it with these four layers and four colours I feel that adding another layer would look overdone.

It’s disappointing to me that I haven’t been able to add more layers as I did want an emerald green colour in order to represent the four main colours we are used to seeing, But I also think that by just using bright primary colours it is offset by the black and white quite nicely.

Because my work is so heavily influenced by the arts and crafts movement I feel that it is important to always look back on where it has originated from, especially considering how my concept is centred on past traditions and crafts.

Looking on the V&A website it shows where Arts and crafts have been particularly prominent throughout the ages.

In Europe it had a revival during 1890-19-14, where it was especially popular in mass industrial engineering. William Morris was especially prominent in the arts and craft movement before and during this time. A leading member of the arts and crafts movement, he was best known for his pattern designs, particularly on textiles and wallpaper.

He was particularly keen that designers and makers should have a working knowledge of any media that they use. This is a reason that I stick with traditional paper cutting techniques as opposed to experimenting with laser cutting. It takes longer and is much less precise but I feel more satisfied with the work I have put into it. Part of the art for me is being involved in every step of the process.

According to the V&A, ‘It was not until the 1860s and 1870s that architects, designers and artists began to pioneer new approaches to design and the decorative arts. These, in turn, led to the foundation of the Arts and Crafts Movement.

The two most influential figures were the theorist and critic John Ruskin and the designer, writer and activist William Morris. Ruskin examined the relationship between art, society and labour. Morris put Ruskin’s philosophies into practice, placing great value on work, the joy of craftsmanship and the natural beauty of materials.

By the 1880s Morris had become an internationally renowned and commercially successful designer and manufacturer. New guilds and societies began to take up his ideas, presenting for the first time a unified approach among architects, painters, sculptors and designers. In doing so, they brought Arts and Crafts ideals to a wider public.’

Vam.ac.uk, (2015). The Arts & Crafts Movement – Victoria and Albert Museum. [online] Available at: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/t/the-arts-and-crafts-movement/

Morris has always renowned for his belief into the worth of something that has had time, effort and skill involved in it and this is what the craft movement is all about.