Smash Hits

Funny, clever, beautifully crafted and full of punch! Say hello to Grayson Perry's riveting retrospective 'Smash Hits' at the Royal Scottish Academy!

I was lucky enough to see it last weekend on a special hop up to Edinburgh. Encompassing a plethora of  mediums: pots, sculptures, bright and brilliant tapestries, huge woodblock prints and sketchbooks, Each piece takes you on a journey into the artist's mind, 'designed to mystify as much as explain.'

Grayson Perry's visual language has both an honesty and quality that, for me at least, invites an instant rapport. He isn't afraid to confront contradictions & confusion. He completely embraces a sense of the ridiculousness, and in doing so often grapples with the profound. Underpinning all, is a sophisticated sense of design, and consummate skill in how to tell a story.

I remember listening avidly to Perry's Reith lectures in 2013, where he likened the journey of young artists to choosing a bus route. No matter what the provocation or temptation to change, he emphasized the importance of sticking with it and staying your course. This is something that continues to deeply resonate with me 10 years on, with all the inevitable doubts and challenges that come up in being an artist. It is what inspired my painting 'I know where I'm going' a declaration of intent to stay my own path, albeit with frequent feelings of facing the opposite direction! 

Thank you Grayson Perry for giving me a much needed dose of your lively wisdom and good humour. I always feel re-invigorated after seeing your work with a renewed sense of purpose and trust in myself.

Thank you also to the Royal Scottish Academy for putting on a beautifully curated show, which is on until the 12th November - so go and see it if you find yourself in Edinburgh! Click the button below for full details.