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.
