Photo credit: © Lucy Sutton-Long
We are thrilled to share that a fantastic new exhibition at The Wallace Collection, Grayson Perry: Delusions of Grandeur, opened today and will run until 26 October.
About
This landmark exhibition features over forty of Grayson’s works, created especially for the show, which explore the influence of the gallery’s collection on contemporary art.
Perry’s connection with the gallery goes back to when they were a young artist, fascinated with the dichotomy between the femininity of French Rococo art and the overt masculinity of the arms and armour. Historically rigid gender roles have been a recurring theme throughout Perry’s career which is also explored in the exhibition.
The show also considers the role of artists in the future by placing handcrafted objects created through hours of intense labour alongside digital art created almost instantaneously through the click of a button.
Perry’s fantastic storytelling creates a stage for the exhibition. The Wallace Collection explains: “While developing the exhibition, the fictional persona of Shirley Smith came into being, a woman who wakes up in Hertford House after a mental health crisis and believes herself to be the rightful heir to the treasures that surround her. Through ancestral portraits and Old Master copies, this imagined life will touch on the real stories, influences and difficult experiences that art can bring to the fore.”
The Wallace Collection adds: “Opening on the artist’s 65th birthday, Grayson Perry: Delusions of Grandeur offers an elaborate commentary on the very nature of making and collecting art. Touching upon a variety of themes, including the creation of domestic space and how it engenders a sense of safety, the gendering of decoration, and perceived perfection versus authenticity, the exhibition will be a major moment for one the country’s most respected artists.”
Grayson Perry explains: “Creating exhibitions with museums has always been a source of joy for me, formalising my lifelong interest in reinterpreting artefacts through my own lens. Working with the Wallace Collection has offered both excitement and a unique challenge: I was captivated by the craftsmanship seen in the collection but I struggled with the opulent aesthetic which I found cloying at times. Fortunately I worked out a strategy that helped me find a fresh perspective. I am very grateful to Xavier Bray for planting the seed of this exhibition in my head and to the staff and trustees of the Wallace Collection for allowing me to play in their jewel box.”
This beautiful, bold exhibition will inspire you and you will never look at art the same way again!
Getting there
The Wallace Collection is located in Manchester Square which is one mile from Hertford Street. It’s a 22 minute walk, or can be reached by taking the number 13 bus from Stop Y at Hilton Park Lane to Portman Square.