Grayson’s Art Club arrives at Bristol Museum

Lockdown Britain took Grayson’s Art Club (Channel 4) to its heart in 2020, with members of the public and famous contributors sharing their artworks with the nation each week.

Grayson and Philippa Perry – with occasional cameos from their cat, Kevin – spoke over zoom to artists, both amateur and professional, who documented and discussed their unique artistic efforts.

The show, made by Swan Films, now has two series to its name, and has featured a vast array of artistic styles from the thousands of entries submitted, along a different theme each week – from family to nature, food, to dreams, work, and finally, travel.

A major new exhibition of artwork from series two opened on December 1 at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, where it will run for 10 months.

Curators have called it “a blockbuster show” and “a vibrant and poignant chronicle of lockdown” that presents a collection of “powerful and very personal responses to the pandemic”.

Without Us There Is No Britain by Chila Kumari Burman-Singh – photo: Bristol City Council

The exhibition is sponsored by UWE Bristol, and spans three floors of the museum, with some artworks integrated into the existing collections.

Amongst the pieces on display are selected works from Grayson and Philippa Perry, guest artists including Sir Frank Bowling, David Bailey and Chila Kumari Burman-Singh, and contributing celebrities including Anneka Rice, Boy George, Derren Brown, Lianne La Havas, Mawaan Rizwan, Russell Tovey, Sue Perkins and Tom Allen.

Homeworker, Keyworker by Grayson Perry – photo: Bristol City Council

Bristol 24/7 was treated to a personal tour of the gallery from Philippa Perry, taking in a diverse mix of highlights.

From her own hand-painted coffee table with inset tiles depicting different sorts of family, and Grayson Perry’s urban fox paintings, to Esther Jones’ daily paintings of her nature walks in lockdown – interspersed with grey squares to represent the days when she didn’t go out; we were also shown Johnny Vegas’ pottery, Russell Tovey’s giant monochromatic canvas, Holly Walsh’s embroidered Tree of Fists; Banksy’s painting on the side of Reading Gaol, and felt artist Lucy Sparrow’s astonishing Triple Art Bypass.

Triple Art Bypass by Lucy Sparrow – photo: Bristol City Council

“It’s so wonderful to see all the works in the flesh, and to meet the contributors who made them,” says Philippa. “We choose not only for the art but also for people’s stories, and for how the art tells those stories.

“This afternoon I met Becky Tyler who made this portrait of Grayson that we’re standing in front of. She has made a wonderful likeness, and really captured something from him. The only thing she’s got complete control over in terms of her movement is her eye, and so she has done it all by blinking and gazing to make a picture. So her story is particularly incredible, but to see all of the works is fantastic.

Portrait of Grayson by Becky Tyler – photo: Bristol City Council

“What I really like is the idea of people making meaning out of something that happened to all of us. So they speak for us all, don’t they? Because they are making art, and they’re processing their experience of lockdown; then we see it and we say ‘yes, we get it too’”.

Grayson’s Art Club is expected to receive large numbers of visitors, who will be invited to pre-book their slots. Marking the exhibition, Channel 4 will air a special episode of Grayson’s Art Club on December 10 at 8pm.

Grayson’s Art Club is at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, Queens Rd, Bristol, BS8 1RL from December 4 2021-September 4 2022. Tickets are ‘pay what you can’, and advanced booking through www.bristolmuseums.org.uk is recommended to guarantee entry.

Main photo: Bristol City Council

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