It there’s one thing the Covid-19 lockdown has taught us it’s that now is the time to cultivate those long-forgotten indoor hobbies. Whether you already know your way around a sketchbook or haven’t picked up a paintbrush since school, there’s never been a better time to reconnect with your inner artist. Don’t know where to start? Don’t panic – Grayson Perry is here to save the day.
The delightfully eccentric British artist has teamed up with Channel 4 to create a new show, Art Club, where he will teach the nation about different types of art and encourage viewers to use their time in self-isolation to tap into their own skills. The show is being created as part of a series aimed at keeping families entertained during the lockdown, which will also include a crafting show hosted by Kirstie Allsopp.
Top right: A Perfect Match, Grayson Perry, 2015. Crafts Council Collection: 2016.18. Purchase supported by Art Fund (with a contribution from The Wolfson Foundation) and a donation from Maylis and James Grand. Courtesy the Artist, Paragon Press, and Victoria Miro, London. © Grayson Perry. Bottom Right: In Its Familiarity, Golden, Grayson Perry, 2015. Crafts Council Collection: 2016.19. Purchase supported by Art Fund (with a contribution from The Wolfson Foundation) and a donation from Maylis and James Grand. Courtesy the Artist, Paragon Press, and Victoria Miro, London. © Grayson Perry
Throughout the show, Perry will talk to a range of fellow artists about their various creative processes, using them as a way to help instruct viewers on how to sculpt, paint and draw their own works of art. He’ll also encourage those watching at home to produce their own visual representations of their time in isolation – the best of these works will then go on to be displayed in a future exhibition, which will aim to chronicle the country’s ever-changing mood over these challenging next few months.
Despite winning the Turner Prize in 2003 for his distinctively decorated pots, Perry has long been interested in bringing art to the masses, saying in an interview with the Evening Standard earlier this year: “Accessibility is a part of what I want to do which is make art an ordinary part of life but a stimulating part of life. I’m not really talking to the art world, I’m more interested in the average Joe on the sofa.”
