Grayson Perry, Huhne Vase Flashcards
date
2014
exhibited
part of exhibition of 14 portraits displayed in the national portrait gallery
exhibitiion called ‘who are you’
what was the technique used
COIL POT-
perry builds a coil pot via pottery and the craped down surface to make it completely smooth
decorated via mishma technique (coloured designs and scraping excess class way)
adds coat of slip (colour added to watery clay used as bade for decoration)
uses pre made terracotta stamps to add design
applies another layer of slip and allows to dry
pot glazed then fired
pot smashed and then repaired using Japanese technique kintsugi using resin then sanded and goveredin gold
what is the mishma technique
decorated via mishma technique (coloured designs and scraping excess clay way, emphasis of vunerability through scraping away)
whats kintsugi
pot smashed and then repaired using Japanese technique kintsugi using resin (lacquer from trees) then sanded and covered in gold
Gilded repair marks stretch across the entire surface of the pot. Perry intentionally smashed the pot during the documentary and then had it repaired with gilding over the cracks, using the traditional japanese technique of kintsugi which means ‘golden joinery’
*Kintsugi relates to the Japanese philosophy of ‘no mind’ (‘mushin’) which encompasses the concepts of non-attachment, acceptance of change and fate as aspects of human life.
whats the guerilla tactic
using medium of pottery to provoke thought
materials
ceramic, clay, slip, resin (lacquer from trees), gold resin
inspiration
ancient pottery
japanese techniques
sitter
Chris huhne
disgraced former liberal democrat Secretary of State and minister for climate change
imprisoned for 9 months for perverting the court of justice after encouraging his now estranged wife to take the blame for a speeding offence he was caught in M11 (LIED TO COURT ABOUT IT)
Integrety undermined when it was revealed he was having a long term affair with his press secretary
what are perrys views on huhne
‘white middle class man facing colllapse of power and status he once enjoyed’
stereotype of patriarchy: white, middle class, heterosexual man
“…Default Man,”
“A white, middle-class, middle-aged, heterosexual man, an identity group that hides in plain sight.”
what does perry believe his duty is
to portray the truth of identity
who did huhne liken himself to
a modern day ‘saint sebastian’ a figure peirced with arrows and attacked from all sides
(chris disagreed and saw as ironic as arrows would reflect reflect his sense of invincibility)
huhne critical quote musing on how huhne compared himself to a modern day saint Sebastian
‘If Chris saw himself as a modern day Saint Sebastian, I noticed how the arrows kept on bouncing off. I realised that my portrait would need to reflect this seeming invincibility.’
why is it presented in a greek traditional style of a vase
huhne represents greek values of masculinity, power and ego
masculine ego ‘will they ever learn’ irony added to vase by depiction of modern figure having the same values (reference to huhns egotistical nature of masculinity remaining unchanged throughout history despite everything)
why was perry frustrated in his interviews of huhne
huhne showed no remorse (hence the use of kinsugi, kinsugi references the importance of vunerability)
Significance of pot form
emphasises vunerability as fragile
guerrilla tactic
greek vases were a form of storytelling
quote about a pot being vunerable
What symbolises vulnerability better than a pot?’
symbols and motifs
glazed green body of pot decorated in repeated motifs:
liberal democrat party symbols,
Mercedes symbols
his personalised number plate (HIINE)
phalluses (affair, nctrolled sexual desire leading to downfall)
a stylised cartoon like portrait of huhne looking ashamed
intersped with mobile phones
prison bars
more phallus’s
whats the japanese philosophy of mushin and how does kinsugi relate
mushin= concepts of non attachment, acceptance of fate (importance of vunerability)
but the repair is literally illuminated…a kind of physical expression of the spirit of ‘mushin’… which carries connotations of fully existing within the moment, non-attachment, of equanimity amid changing conditions
use of kintsugis golden joinery smooth cracks relate to mushin as the damaged implicxated by huhne is emphasised
*The repairing of the vase in this way can be read as metaphor for the importance that public figures display their vulnerability
scale
67 x 40 cm
how are repeated motif’s linked to andy Warhol
- The repeated motifs were inspired by Andy Warhol, who made his name as the inventor of ‘Pop Art’, depicting icons such as the Campbell’s Soup Cans (1962): carbon copies of one another. The implication was therefore that Huhne was one of many in an ‘elite tribe’ of men who are all carbon copies of eachother.
inspiration from philosopher
*Perry explains his inspiration from the philosopher Julian Baggini’s book, The Ego Trick “‘I’ is a verb masquerading as a noun”. He says this underpins his understanding of identity.
what was this displayed alongside
*Within the exhibition in the National Portrait Gallery the Huhne Vase was displayed in the central hall alongside other figures from the British political establishment, opposite portraits of Gladstone and Disraeli. This was an intentional jab at the political establishment.
