Colour, sex, cartoonish characters and collage – there’s visual excitement to spare in Grayson Perry’s work, as you might expect from the self-proclaimed “transvestite potter” who turned up to the BAFTAs in a pearly penis gown.
The MCA’s huge survey exhibition of the Turner Prize-winning artist allows the brighter and bigger works (Perry’s massive tapestries) room to breathe, and intersperses them with his ceramics, sculptures, print illustrations and photography, arranged thematically.
An additional treat for crafts-people, artists and avid fans is the chance to cop a squiz at some of Perry’s workbooks, which reveal the creative process of a few of the larger works from their initial conceptual stages.
The one thing this exhibition doesn’t do is give context for a lot of what you’re seeing – so you’ll want to have some background knowledge before you go in, if you’re after more than eye-candy or provocation.
We’re not saying you need to undertake some grand act of “interpretation”, but if you don’t know anything about the artist, then you’re definitely going to be asking yourself questions like “What’s with all the teddy bears?” and “Who the hell is Alan Measles?”
Read our guide to Grayson Perry's Pretty Little Art Career so you can do the show like a pro.