I admire Grayson Perry. Any man who accepts a high profile, established art prize like the Turner, whilst dressed as a woman, has balls. In fact, he doesn’t actually dress as a woman but as a girl called Claire. “Wearing a girl’s dress is less threatening than wearing a woman’s,” he said last week. “When I’m at parties and women have had a few drinks, I get offers. But a lot of people will also take it badly. Man in child’s dress. The paedo bell will go off.”
Perry was talking about his life and work as an artist to a psychoanalyst at a Connecting Conversations event at Islington town hall. Annoyingly I missed the talk but got there for the Q&A which was interesting in itself. I’ve listened to some of Perry’s views when he was interviewed by Will Self last year. However, I’m glad to hear that he’s about to present a programme on Radio 4 today all about creativity and imagination which will make up for missing the talk.
Perry’s wife is a therapist which may explain why he agreed to such a public on-stage deconstruction of his thoughts and feelings. “Many artists are scared of therapy,” he said. “They think that their fuckedup-ness is what makes them creative. Therapy for me was like sorting out my tool shed. All the tools were there and finally I could find them….I made some of my strongest works in therapy. It made me not afraid of being open.”
He admitted that he used to be very angry. “Maybe as I get older, I’ll approach old age by making uncomplicated, beautiful pots.” Until then, I hope Perry will continue to challenge us by addressing difficult, unusual subjects through art. In his own words: “I want people to say, ‘he’s made me think’ “.
Grayson Perry on Creativity and Imagination, 11.30am, Tuesday 6th July, Radio 4