I spent a gorgeous afternoon in the National Portrait Gallery in London and was lucky enough to catch the Grayson Perry exhibition.

“Perry’s subjects for this show are “individuals, families or groups that somehow represent some important facets of the nature of our identity”, and as could be expected some are more familiar to us than others”

I really enjoyed the exhibition and here are what inspired me at the gallery that day

Social Faces

This image is representing the many faces with which we put on as we go about our day. This represents the social face that this woman carries around and removes when she gets home in the evening. I thought this was inspiring. How many faces do I have? How would I represent this phenomenon?

Suffragettes

This is an image of one of the principle activists in the Suffragette movement in the UK Emmeline Pankhurst. I was inspired by the pictures of these ladies who you can see in this photo have a brazen attitude, clear sense of style and confidence and a bravery that I really admire. There was a picture of another woman dressed in male clothing which even now would be seen as slightly unusual. I loved the energy of the movement and was very thankful for their bravery for the freedom I have today….the revolution!

William Morris

William Morris was an English textile designer, poet, novelist, translator and socialist activist. I was inspired by his story for a number of reasons (a) he was involved and creative in so many different areas and excelled in them all (b) he connected with other artists to inspire his own creativity (c) he brought his creative flair to business and was successful at creating products/textiles that people loved and valued (d) he was a revolutionary in his time. I really enjoyed learning about him.

Authenticity

I loved this image due to the raw nature of it. I admired the subjects/actress vulnerability. When posing for a portrait that she knew would be hung in the national gallery she showed or exposed a vulnerability. In relation to the “faces” above she did not try and show the “perfect” self. I really was inspired by that. Authenticity!

Colour and Fun

I thought this picture of this serious ballerina also brought about an element of colour and fun. While in a really stiff pose there is an energy that is brought about simply by the use of paint. I loved it!

What a wonderful way to spend the afternoon!