Grayson Perry’s ceramics are as rich and as varied as the artist himself. Perry's vases have classical forms and are decorated in bright colours, depicting subjects seemingly at odds with their attractive appearance. A dichotomy that plays out across the textured surfaces as these two contrasting elements wrestle for supremacy amongst subversive themes.
There is a strong autobiographical element in his work, in which images of Perry as 'Claire', his female alter-ego, often appear. He was awarded the Turner Prize in 2003 for a collection of works including We've Found The Body Of Your Child, which shows a baby lying helpless on the ground while its mother is apparently restrained by a gang. He also poked fun at the art world with works like Lovely Consensus, a satire on fashionable establishments.
With an almost punk folkloric aesthetic, Perry’s highly self-referential vases can be placed firmly within a wider body of works that has seen the innovative sculptor, print-maker and media personality become one of the most exciting artists of his generation.
Perry’s urns are rendered with an explosive master-craft: their surfaces richly textured from designs marked into the clay, followed by intricately complicated glazing and photo-transfer techniques.
‘One of the reasons I dress up as a woman is my low self-esteem, to go with the image of women being seen as second class…It is like pottery: that’s seen as a second-class thing too’.
Andipa are excited to announce the latest acquisition to our Grayson Perry collection with “Sex Object”. Playful and provocative, daring and delightful the ornate urn is Perry at his finest. Bodies chaotically writhe in ecstasy and as limbs and bodies entwine. Set to a gold backdrop, the almost staccato figures realised in deep rouges and clarets fight for attention. Typically Perry, subversion and shock go hand in hand. Yet it is easy to overlook the technical brilliance of the piece when we focus on the subversive elements of the subject and it is well worth noting that the execution of the work is very much that of a master ceramist. Set within a long history of works, the vase is Perry at his best. Iconic, disturbingly comforting and supremely stylish.
Situated between just two of our Grayson Perry prints, the vase makes a handsome addition to our gallery space. For more information on the work and our Grayson Perry artwork for sale, contact sales@andipa.com or call +44 (0)20 7581 1244.