Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Grayson Perry, renowned for his ceramic vases decorated with shocking, unconventional imagery, rose to fame in 2003 when he won the Turner Prize, collecting the award wearing a lilac babydoll dress and red pumps. Perry's hard-hitting yet exquisite work, which also includes tapestry, prints, sculpture, and drawing, references his own upbringing and his life as a transvestite while engaging with broader issues, from war and religion to politics and sex.



This monograph, now updated and expanded, explores Perry's work through a discussion of his major themes and subjects. Jacky Klein's text is complemented by intimate and insightful commentaries on individual pieces by the artist, giving unique access to his imaginative world and creative processes. Over 175 of Perry's works are illustrated, as well as a rich selection of the visual material that has inspired him, from Afghan war rugs, Sumatran batiks, and medieval altarpieces to the paintings of Pieter Bruegel and the American Outsider artist Henry Darger.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

British artist Grayson Perry (b. 1960), winner of the 2003 Turner Prize, makes beautiful, funny, provocative art that explores the borders between art and craft, good taste and kitsch, conformity and difference. Perry's primary medium is clay; his coil-formed vases in traditional shapes depict highly charged imagery of war, sex, and class struggle. This book covers almost 30 years of the artist's work and career. Independent art historian Klein explores a range of themes in Perry's work, accompanied by over 300 color illustrations and the artist's comments on his art. The book concludes with a chronology of Perry's life, a list of public collections that own his work, exhibitions, a selected bibliography, and an index. A couple of caveats: Perry and Klein are both British, so British slang abounds. Perry is also candid about his personal life, including his transvestism and sexuality. Verdict Several books have been published about Perry, but none is as comprehensive as this one. Highly recommended for students of contemporary art, ceramics, and social commentary.-Martha Smith, Elmira Coll. Lib., NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

CHOICE Review

With an articulate, insightful text and large color photographs, Klein (an art historian with a contemporary focus) places this eccentric, controversial British artist and his art into cultural and historical perspective. Perry's work explores several themes, including the tension and conflict caused by class differences, war, erotic sexual fantasies, religion, folk art, the art world, and pilgrimage. Perry's own illuminating descriptions of the mostly autobiographical pieces of ceramics, metalwork, textiles, and prints in this second edition (1st ed., 2009) include the inspiration and motivation behind their forms and surfaces. His life and experimental collages, found object constructions, sketches, and performances done while still a student in the 1980s continue to inform his artwork today. Perry's primary medium is earthenware ceramics, which he molds and hand builds with coils, then decorates with stamps, incised imagery, and provocative narrative text. Many of his vessels and plates are further embellished with slips, glazes, and transfers. Hogarth's satirical prints and historical English and Asian pottery contextualize Perry's content and craftsmanship. Some readers may find the often irreverent, rebellious, and X-rated imagery offensive, but Perry's aesthetic evolved as authentic responses to his world and the artist's place in society. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; general readers. C. A. Ventura Tennessee Technological University