The third of Grayson Perry’s Reith Lectures, part of a series four lectures titled Democracy Has Bad Taste on BBC Radio 4, saw the Turner Prize-winning artist ask whether revolution is a defining concept in art, or whether it has in fact met its end.
Speaking at the The Guildhall in Londonderry, Perry claimed the world of art is strongly associated with novelty, arguing that the mainstream media is particularly drawn to the idea of the avant-garde. He was also critical of the way work is described as being ‘cutting edge’, artists are ‘radical’, shows are ‘mould-breaking’, and ideas are ‘ground-breaking’, ‘game-changing’ or ‘revolutionary’.
He said: “We are forever being told that a new paradigm is being set. But we have in fact reached the final state of art. Not an end game, as there will always be great new art, but that art has lost one of its central tenets: its ability to shock. We have seen it all before. Perhaps the most shocking thing an artist has done recently was Tracey Emin supporting the Tories!”
Perry said that in the twenty-first century, the most rebellious thing for an artist to have was sincerity. “It is certainly something to be protected. When I look at art I want a sincere experience. I don’t want it to be ironic. The problem is integrity and authenticity have high value in the urban ecology.”
Perry attacked the gentrification of areas previously occupied by artists, saying more needs to be done to retain their identities. “It’s simple. Make cheap spaces available for artists to live and work. If you want to improve an area, instead of using developers, why not pay artists to move in for 10 years?”
Perry cited various parts of London as examples where artists have transformed areas for the better, only to be turfed out once they have become popular. “Before you know it, the dead hand of the developer falls and you’ve got a row of little boutique coffee shops.”
During the audience questions, Perry was asked what the role of the artist is. He replied: “It can be many things. It might be to make money, or be a philosopher. Between you and me, it might be to make beautiful art.”
Listen to the full lecture here.
More on a-n.co.uk
Chris Sharratt reports on Grayson Perry’s previous Reith Lectures:
Grayson Perry: “In art, seriousness is the most important currency”
Grayson Perry: “I’d like the power to say, no, that’s no longer art”
