To London, to London to look at the Queen; or in this case Grayson Perry.
What fun………I fell for this guy when I attended a V&A talk he gave as his alter ego Claire several years ago. His honesty and integrity and his willingness to make a fool of himself in his search to portray what he wanted were disarming, and his work ethic extraordinary.
All of the above came through again today. The show is in places laugh out loud funny, silently sad, fragile, vulnerable and wise….and massive in its scope and in the work.
My only concern was that it was maybe too much, maybe ten minutes or so too long. I would have cut half the last gallery.
No slightly sadistic or elitist withholding of information or intent here – his voice comes through clearly in the labelling…a running commentary on the artefacts he chose to use from the collection and his own work. I have rarely seen an audience so intently engaged with a show. They were also smiling and talking to each other, plainly relaxed and comfortable.
Suddenly the man himself arrived on the scene, trotting though with some friends, laughing and chatting with visitors and signing the pencil drawings [his suggestion] of a group of A Level students.
What a rare thing this was – an exhibition without airs and graces that dealt with Life and Death and Sex and everything in between that left me with as many questions as answers and with my horizons broadened and my heart lifted.
My vote is for that gallery to be retained for a constant rolling exhibition of museum – led work by artists from all disciplines………….
And then a visit to the wonders of Falkinders and their beautiful papers……..
What great way to clear ones head.
If it snows tomorrow I have the perfect excuse to shut the studio door.
