The Vanity of Small Differences

As I was attendng the AGM of Yorkshire in Bloom at Temple Newsam, I took advantage of visiting the Grayson Perry exhibition while I was there.  I am so glad I did.  

The exhibition, The Vanity of Small Differences, depicts Perry’s thoughts on taste and class in six incredibly detailed tapestries. These were created from the findings of his Chanel 4 documentary All in the Best Possible Taste with Grayson Perry when he visited different social groups in Sunderland, Tunbridge Wells and the Cotswolds.

Just as Hogarth told the story of the Tom Rakewell in A Rake’s Progress, the tapestries tell the story of the upwardly mobile Tim.  I could have spent hours in front of each tapestry, so intricate were the works, new features kept becoming apparent as did snatches of text.  If you get the opportunity, do go and see these pieces to which the camera cannot do justice.

 The Annunciation of the Virgin Deal

 

 Here you can see the Guardian newspaper in which the organic vegetables were wrapped, the cafetiere, which Perry calls the middle class icon, along with the Aga and the Penguin mugs.