Wallace Collection, LondonArtworks ‘by’ Perry’s new alter ego – an abuse survivor from the East End called Shirley Smith – sit among works by real outsider artists. His stronger pieces are more straightforwardGrayson Perry is fascinated by outsiders – outcasts, nonconformists, the marginalised and the deviant. He has frequently assumed the outsider position, delivering commentary on class, gender and Britons’ petty snobberies. Across his career, he has pronounced on how his medium of choice (ceramics), his crossdressing, or his engagement with popular culture have excited the disapproval of cliques including the art world. Now, as a member of the Royal Academy, a knight of the realm and a ubiquitous presence on TV, that anti-establishment stance is under some strain. He shall hereafter be referred to as Sir Grayson, to keep him in his (elevated) place.Delusions of Grandeur is a classic Graysonian bluff – a title that carries its own takedown (who does he think he is?). Though it is ...
Grayson Perry's "Delusions of Grandeur" exhibition at the Wallace Collection features artworks purportedly by Perry's new alter ego, Shirley Smith, alongside works by other outsider artists. The exhibition explores themes of outsider status and commentary on societal norms, but Perry's anti-establishment stance is weakened by his current establishment status. The exhibition's concept is baroque, with Perry manifesting the alter ego of an impoverished East End woman who has an alter ego of her own.
