Grayson Perry - Who Are You? - On Idiot Box Together With At The Npg

The fruits of Grayson Perry's recent collaborative efforts close Who Are You? are existence revealed this calendar week inwards price of

• a serial of programmes about identity on Channel 4 and
• an exhibition of associated novel artwork in addition to portraiture at the National Portrait Gallery which opens on Saturday.  

Grayson Perry is i of my favourite contemporary artists - non to the lowest degree because he's an creative individual who demonstrably exercises his encephalon cells on a regular basis! I'm starting fourth dimension to recall of him as a chip of an Artist Anthropologist! He's for sure a major chronicler of contemporary life in addition to civilization every bit good every bit issues related to identity.

Grayson Perry CBE, RA
(Courtesy of National Portrait Gallery)

I must confess I real much similar this novel way of bringing fine art to Earth - a structured projection close matters of involvement relating to contemporary life, an exhibition in addition to an associated tv set programme - addition a book.

It makes art-making much to a greater extent than accessible inwards price of the concepts behind it every bit good every bit the actual procedure of making the fine art in addition to seeing the halt result.

Grayson Perry: Who Are You? - the exhibition (sponsored yesteryear Coutts) - opens at the National Portrait Gallery on 25 Oct 2014 in addition to runs until xv March 2015. It includes xiv portraits relating to the people who participated inwards the Channel 4 tv set serial of programmes close identity. You tin sack discovery it across is across Floor One of the Gallery’s permanent collection displays. Admission free.

Grayson Perry: Who Are You? - the tv set serial - started this evening on Channel 4. This follows Perry every bit he spends fourth dimension alongside people who are at a crossroads or crisis inwards their ain identity, in addition to makes plant that essay to capture each of them inwards a single, revealing image.

• Episode 1 - Individuals (Wednesday 22 October, 10pm, Channel 4). The 4 individuals who feauture inwards the programme are 
• ex Minister Chris Huhne - earlier in addition to later prison 
• Rylan Clarke, during a menstruum of consolidation of his celebrity


• Kayleigh Khosravi - a 27 year quondam Muslim convert living inwards Ashford Kent alongside her 4 children
• a immature female-to-male transsexual Alex

Some of Grayson Perry's sitters have larn miniatures, some large tapestries, some statues and, of course, some are ceramic pots.

The portrait of disgraced politico Chris Huhne is a vase decorated alongside a repeating pattern of motifs such every bit his face, his personalised number plate in addition to a speed camera. The ceramic pot was purposefully smashed yesteryear Perry in addition to and thence repaired using the Japanese kintsugi technique, where the cracks are repaired using lacquer resin dusted or mixed alongside gold.

In the National Portrait Gallery:

• The Huhne Vase is displayed contrary portraits of Gladstone in addition to Disraeli 
• nearby The Earl of Essex, a Hilliard-inspired miniature of X-Factor contestant Rylan Clark (in porcelain, digital transfer, electro-formed metallic in addition to acrylic), is displayed inwards a showcase betwixt the Gallery’s cabinet portraits of novelists George Eliot in addition to Wilkie Collins.

The Ashford Hijab, 2014 - every bit seen inwards tonight's programme
Courtesy the Artist in addition to Victoria Miro, London 
© Grayson Perry

The Ashford Hijab, a silk screenprint, shows Muslim convert Kayleigh Khosravi in addition to her children on the path from what Grayson Perry describes every bit ‘the temple of consumerism’ of the Ashford Designer Outlet Centre to the focal call for of her Muslim faith at Mecca.

I am a Man, a pocket-size patinated brass portrait of immature female-to-male transsexual Alex. This has echoes of the Kensington Gardens statue of Peter Pan in addition to is inwards the way of some of Perry’s favourite sculptures, the Republic of Benin bronzes of West Africa. It is displayed unopen to The Line of Departure, a tapestry inwards the way of an Afghan carpet which shows 3 wounded state of war veterans, inwards a room surrounded yesteryear the Gallery’s portraits of Baden Powell, Florence Nightingale, Mary Seacole in addition to soldiers Lord Kitchener in addition to Frederick Barnaby

• 

   Idealised Heterosexual Couple, 2013 
  Courtesy the Artist in addition to Victoria Miro, London 
  © Grayson Perry

  Episode 2 - Modern Families (Wednesday 29 October, 10pm, Channel 4) explores the thought of household unit of measurement today in addition to how it has changed radically from the conventional notion of Mum in addition to Dad in addition to 2.4 kids.

Three glazed pots depict 

• Modern Family, Jack in addition to John, white manly individual parents who choose adopted mixed race Shea; 
• Memory Jar showing Alzheimer’s illness sufferer Christopher Devas in addition to his married adult woman Veronica and 
• Idealised Heterosexual Couple, divorcees who alive apart simply whose household unit of measurement is brought together through its honey of ballroom dancing classes, pregnant manly individual raise Colin sees to a greater extent than of his daughters that many a live-in father. 

Jesus Army Money Box, 2013
Courtesy the Artist in addition to Victoria Miro, London
© Grayson Perry

Episode 3 volition tackle groups

• Jesus Army Money Box, a glazed ceramic reliquary inwards the shape of a mediaeval style
• Chasse, a pocket-size enamelled breast containing a holy relic, depicts a Christian grouping that plant alongside homeless people.

These are articles close the projection which choose appeared inwards recent days - addition i of his other ventures - editing the New Statesman. They are yesteryear no way all uncritical.

• The Guardian - Grayson Perry: ‘Just because you lot don’t choose a wearing clothing on doesn’t halt you lot existence a tranny’
• The Herald Scotland - Grayson Perry: Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 portrait of the creative individual every bit himself
• The Telegraph - Grayson Perry proves that fine art in addition to politics don't mix
• The Independent - Does Grayson Perry choose whatever thought how tough life is for white, middle-class, right away men similar me?

A novel majority - Playing to the Gallery

The Channel 4 serial in addition to display coincide alongside the publication of Grayson Perry’s novel majority Playing to the Gallery: Helping Contemporary Art inwards its Struggle to endure Understood published inwards the spill yesteryear Penguin.

I was sent a preview re-create in addition to it's an fantabulous in addition to thought provoking read

A House inwards Essex

In the meantime, his other major project A House inwards Essex - a trouble solid designed yesteryear Perry which has been constructed to state the floor of a mythical Essex adult woman called Julie - is nearing completion in addition to volition presently endure available to rent!

There are diverse articles close this:

• The Telegraph - Grayson Perry's Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 House for Essex unveiled - this has a slideshow of images of the house. It's clear the landscaping has nonetheless to endure completed.
• Homes & Property - Rent Grayson Perry's extraordinary Hansel in addition to Gretel trouble solid inwards Essex - this also has a slideshow
• Daily Mail - Artist Grayson Perry puts finishing touches to bizarre light-green in addition to gilded gingerbread vacation cottage inwards Essex that 'tells the floor of a mythical adult woman called Julie'

simply I saved the best to final ;)

• Radio Times - Grayson Perry: I designed my novel artwork patch watching The X Factor

Who is Grayson Perry?

Winner of the 2003 Turner prize, Grayson Perry is i of Britain's best-known contemporary artists. He plant alongside traditional media; ceramics, cast iron, bronze, printmaking in addition to tapestry in addition to is interested inwards how each historic category of object accrues over time’s intellectual in addition to emotional baggage.

Perry is a nifty chronicler of contemporary life, drawing viewers inwards alongside beauty, wit, affecting thought in addition to nostalgia every bit good every bit fearfulness in addition to anger. His hard-hitting in addition to exquisitely crafted plant reference his ain childhood in addition to life every bit a transvestite patch also engaging alongside wider social issues from bird in addition to politics to sexual practice in addition to religion.

Grayson Perry has had major solo exhibitions nationally in addition to internationally including the critically acclaimed Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman at the British Museum. His monumental suite of tapestries The Vanity of Small Differences, which were inspired yesteryear his BAFTA winning Channel 4 series: In the Best Possible Taste, are currently on a national in addition to international tour led yesteryear the Arts Council Collection in addition to British Council. In June 2013 Perry was awarded a CBE inwards the Queen's Birthday Honours List. Grayson Perry is represented yesteryear Victoria Miro Gallery, London.

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