Grayson Perry: A Potted Biography
Saturday, November 2nd 2019 - Friday, January 10th 2020
Da Gadderie
Winner of the 2003 Turner Prize, Perry is known for his vases, two of which will be the highlight of this exhibition. Perry is also well known for his tapestries, cross-dressing and observations of the contemporary arts scene. Many of his pieces are autobiographical, often featuring his female alter-ego ‘Claire’ and his childhood teddy bear ‘Alan Measles’.
The two pieces from Grayson Perry, ‘My Gods’ and ‘Aspects of Myself’, are autobiographical and are on loan from Tate. The classical shapes and attractive appearance of the vases are in sharp contrast to the issues they depict. ‘Aspects of Myself’ was created by Perry in 2001 and combines a variety of decorative techniques to create a complex and challenging piece, reflecting Perry’s own life. ‘My Gods’ was created by Perry in 1994 and features a series of figures, each representing a different deity that symbolises the artist’s own personal theology and heavily influenced by his own relationship with his parents.
Key loans have been made possible through The Ferryman Project: Sharing Works of Art which is supported by National Lottery players through The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the John Ellerman Foundation and the Art Fund.
Alongside the vases there will be an exhibition of items on loan from people in Shetland, representing key aspects of their own life stories in the exhibition, 'My Potted Biography'.
