Hold your Beliefs Lightly

Grayson Perry is as famous for his craft-inspired art as he is for his cross-dressing public persona. Traditional form and current social subject matter work in a synergy to give substance and humanity to his work. For instance, the large vases adopt the classic shapes of Grecian and Oriental artefacts, yet they are adorned with depictions of contemporary traumatic events rendered with a mix of traditional and contemporary techniques. As Perry himself says about the violence and politics in his work, “without it, it would be pottery. I think that crude melding of those two parts is what makes my work.”




More than the mere incongruous juxtaposition of form and substance, his willingness to be a public persona beyond the art world also contributes to raising awareness of his work and the ideas it engages with. Indeed, Perry received the Turner Prize in 2003, ultimate badge of recognition in the art world, but he also appears on public affairs television dressed up as a doll-like figure. The Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman, the current exhibition curated by Grayson Perry at the British Museum takes the artist's process a step further.



The exhibition comprises a mix of pieces from the museum's collection displayed alongside some of Perry's new work in a seamless thematic hang that sheds new light on both the historical and the contemporary. Starting from the premise that the British Museum is a tomb of sorts, Perry outlined a number of themes that also inspire his work: shrines, magic, sexuality, etc. Where some elements of the British Museum's collection are obvious sources of inspiration for Perry, some are brought in strictly for their aesthetic qualities or their oddity – a mummified ear lobe with lavish gold earring still attached has a transfixing effect.



The thematic approach highlights the incredible skills that have gone into creating all these objects. It is the plight of craftsmen to remain anonymous and it is not without irony that Perry uses his own fame to honour them. Yet the star of the exhibition is an intricate iron memorial that Perry crafted out of iron. It is laden with historical and cultural references.



The exhibition opens with a customized motorcycle emblazoned with pastel hearts and featuring a miniature shrine to Alan Measles, Perry's teddy bear God figure. He used the motorbike to tour Germany in 2010 as a metaphorical peace-making process with his childhood fears of the Teutonic nation. The object is not something you would expect at the British Museum, yet it is a perfect example of contemporary craftsmanship and sets the tone for the exhibition: this is not about artistic or historical scholarship, it is tribute to those of made the object that scholarship now examines. As Perry regularly states, “Hold your beliefs lightly” and the British Museum won that gamble by loosening their approach and inviting Grayson Perry to play with their collection.
 

Lessons Learned

Sunday was a perfect sunny and mild Autumn day. I was up at 7:30 – very unusual for me on a Sunday – for a big bowl of porridge. Why the early morning when I usually start looking forward to a Sunday lie-in as early as Monday morning? I was running and Grand Union half-marathon.

I approached the whole thing with a bit of trepidation as my first half-marathon, which took place in Edinburgh last April, turned into an epic challenge. The course had been mis-measured... by 5 miles! That is more or less a three-quarter marathon, which was not what I had trained for.

Mind you, I also did a number of things that I would consider to be mistakes I have learned from:

• Mistake #1: Being in Scotland for a bit of a romantic weekend, Kai and I had a sizeable meal with a few glasses of wine followed by a taste of whisky the night before. It was enjoyable at the time but it made harder to wake up the following morning. It also left me dehydrated.
• Mistake #2: I was also very silly to think I did not need a proper breakfast. It was too early for room service but I quickly consumed a few shortbread biscuits and instant coffee in the room and thought that ought to be sufficient. What's more, I had opted not to carry any sustenance with during the race as I don't like having to hold anything while running.
• Mistake #3: I insisted that my husband not come and meet me at the finish line. I was trying to be kind and let him enjoy the lie-in that I could not have but, as I sat on the grass and cried softly while devouring the chocolate bar, apple and crisps from my goody-bag, the thought of having to get back to the hotel on my own was overwhelming and just made me cry some more.

Last Sunday I put this learning experience to good use. I had a sociable evening out the night before but nothing excessive. On the morning I ate a sizeable bowl of porridge, coffee and few glasses of water before leaving. I also carried a glucose gel with me which – no matter how disgusting – I was quite happy to consume an hour into my run. Next time, I will carry one for every hour of the run. Kai was lovely enough to sacrifice his Sunday lie-in so as to drive me to the start point and pick me up at the finish line. All this made for a very pleasant 2 hour run along the Grand Union canal from Uxbridge to Bradford. I finished it elated and quite proud.

Every new challenge is a learning experience and I still learned something from this recent run. My lovely in-laws had us over for a scrumptious late lunch after the run. It was so nice that I let myself relax for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Although a bit of a stretch after the run and a hot shower before lunch had been helpful in dispelling the lactic acid building up in my legs, sitting down for the rest of the day was not such a good idea...

Another run done, another lesson learned.

The Ugly Truth

Of all the painters of the human form, few opt to show its disquieting – dare we say it – ugly sides, in favour of beauty, but would our appreciation of portraiture be what it is without the uncompromising gaze of Rembrandt and Francis Bacon? We think not! All the harmonious curves, gentle smiles and symmetrical features rendered by countless other artists do not come close to the memorable impact of the bulbous noses, folds of flesh and warped faces created by artists who see the evocative power of human imperfection. Somehow, the close unflinching examination of flaws is something that we can relate to on an immediate level whereas the admiration of perfection is more passive, more distant, less affecting.

There is no denying that painter George Condo’s first major retrospective presents a collection of works that confronts us with the most distorted, surreal and terrifying side of our humanity. Did we also mention that they are about as hilarious as they are alarming?

Curated in accordance to a thematic approach, Mental States, at the Hayward gallery, provides a conceptual environment for each and every one of his characters, from the Screaming Priest to Big Red. The first impression is rather tame and reassuring as a series of sculptures of golden heads ushers you along a corridor and into the gallery space. His sculptures are somewhat less striking than his paintings, the additional dimension taking away from the otherworldliness of the impossibly jutting chins and missing eyes. Yet the challenges await at the very end of this corridor with a series of nine more or less mutated portraits of the Queen, Dreams and Nightmares of the Queen. Condo is not scared to deconstruct any image, from the clergy to the royalty, no one is out of bounds.


If you’re not laughing yet, you will as soon as you enter the gallery space dedicated to portraiture. The portraits range from fairly realistic representations of men and women with slight disquieting effects (one eye significantly bigger than the other, a very small head on a big body, a nose that looks like it belongs on a different head altogether) to completely animalistic and fantastic creatures posing in accordance to the classic iconography of portraiture.

This whole menagerie is hung in an old-fashioned “salon style” that is now rarely seen, safe for some more conservative art institutions such as the National Gallery. This approach highlights both the absurdity of the paintings as well as the many art historical references that Condo slips into his work. The space dedicated to abstract-figuration does not have as powerful an impact. The paintings are all on a large scale but, instead of making one strong individual statement, they are covered in sprawling details that require sustained examination.

Finally the Mania and Melancholy gallery is where you will find the most recent and the most disturbing work. Created in the late 1990s and 2000s these works stand as allegories for out troubled times. In Uncle Joe, a man lies on his back, his genitals exposed, a bottle of wine in one hand and a cigarette in the other. There are soap bubbles floating about him, the grass and blue sky hint more at a bucolic picnic than at a bout of drunken exhibitionism. Yet, the expression on his face is priceless: it’s a truly savage grin slicing his face from ear to ear. Screaming Priest, both an homage to Francis Bacon and a representation of the organised religion’s scandals, and Nude Homeless Drinker evoke the same dissolution of social propriety and dignity. They are both terrifying and liberating. As Condo himself states: “They may not be pretty but I think we can all see ourselves in these pictures; they are so hideous and yet so utterly real.”


You could be forgiven after all that “reality” to want a bit of escapism and, conveniently enough, you can find it on the lower level of the Hayward in the form of Pipilotti Rist’s Eyeball Massage.

Running is my sanity

  Of course, I do it for the many health benefits. It's the best way to get the heart pumping, it prevents osteoarthritis (the most common form of arthritis), heart disease, diabetes, raises my good cholesterol levels and boosts my immunity to colds and viruses.

As I'm running the Brighton Marathon to raise funds for Breakthrough Breast Cancer, I was delighted to learn that the National Cancer Institute reports that women who reported the highest levels of "vigorous activities" (running certainly counts as vigorous) had about a 30% lower risk of breast cancer than women who do no "vigorous activities".

The benefits are not just physical. They are also emotional and mental as exercise is three times more efficient than rest at reducing anxiety. I never think as clearly as when I'm out in the park, jogging in the fresh air. I've solved so many problems by just going for a run that I truly think my life would have turned out to be quite different had I not been a runner.

Basically, running is the best thing I can do for myself. And now it's also the best thing I've ever done for others as my fundraising started last week. I've had my first donation! Albeit, it's from my lovely dad, but who better than family to get you started?