Grayson Perry: Who are you?

Fantastic exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery of work by Grayson Perry on the topic of identity.

This is my favourite show of the year so far and I can’t spot anything on my to do list which might match it! It is based on his recent television series, which I am ashamed to admit I missed, in which he interviewed various people he felt might be typical of a group to try to determine what they felt they saw as their identity.

I liked the fact the show starts with a work called “Map of Days” in which Perry looked at himself. It’s a large etching of a map with all the roads buildings etc given names of the emotions and ideas he had at the time. It was done over a period of time and he marks each day’s work as a date on the work. He is making the point that self is not a fixed thing just who we are at a moment in time and that can change.

Next the trail round the first floor of the gallery takes you to a wonderful tapestry in the form of a bank note examining the British identity called “Comfort Blanket”. It is covered on words summing up Britain. I loved the Union Jack in the corner with words representing England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales and the child figure in the middle with the main British characteristics on it such as “fear of embarrassment” and “Moderation”.

Don’t worry I’m not going to mention every exhibit, although I could they were all so thought provoking. My favourite of the others was “Memory Jar” representing a man with Alzheimer’s. On the front was a lovely portrait of him and his wife but at the back was a devilish figure cutting up photos and the background was the shreds of the photos. The side had deeply flawed heavy firing with big crater like holes. I found this so moving.

I loved the fact the exhibits were through the gallery with the famous faces of the last 150 years watching over them and giving a sense of a national history which as lead us all to where we are.

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