Grayson At The RSA

Decided early to get myself up to the (Sir) Grayson Perry’s Exhibition, Smash Hits, up at the RSA and was not disappointed. This, his biggest and most complete retrospective, was a delight. From his characteristicily unique pots to his enormous tapestries/embroideries, every item demanded inspection and reflection. The only negative aspect from my point of view was that a few of his tapestries were based on paintings from the 16th / 17th centuries but I didn’t know them and could have done with a small image of said painting to compare.
It was a shame that his alter ego Alan Measles (his childhood teddy bear) couldn’t make it, there’s not many pieces of his art that doesn’t have Alan included at some point, as Grayson didn’t want him to be so far from home!

The light seemingly emitting from his head is not as one might think a reflection but his image is printed on a large, slightly transparent material screen so the light is coming through from the other side, with the material curtain being used as a gallery space divider, though it does look like it is him emitting an artistic power.