Grayson Perry has created an epic set of tapestries inspired by his TV series and it's coming to Newlyn.

'The Vanity of Small Differences' is a series of six large-scale tapestries by the Turner-Prize winning artist, which are now in the Arts Council Collection, and will be showing at The Exchange from October 3 - January 2, 2021.

James Green, gallery director, said: “Few artists have made a greater contribution to the general wellbeing of the nation during the Covid-19 pandemic than Grayson Perry, so we are delighted to present his epic series of tapestries at The Exchange this autumn."

Inspired by William Hogarth’s 'A Rake’s Progress' the tapestries, each measuring 2m x 4m, chart the ‘class journey’ made by young Tim Rakewell and include many of the characters, incidents and objects Perry encountered on journeys through Sunderland, Tunbridge Wells, and The Cotswolds for the TV series 'All in the Best Possible Taste with Grayson Perry'.

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In the series Perry goes on ‘a safari amongst the taste tribes of Britain’, to gather inspiration for his artwork, literally weaving the characters he meets into a narrative, with an attention to the minutiae of contemporary taste every bit as acute as that in Hogarth’s 18th century paintings.

Perry's tapestries take an art form traditionally associated with grand houses - depicting classical myths, historical and religious scenes and epic battles - and play with the idea of using this ancient allegorical art to elevate the commonplace dramas of modern British life. Politics, consumerism, history and art history are bound up in the work, in both subject and medium.

Beth Hughes, curator at Arts Council Collection said: “We are delighted to be launching the next tour of this incredibly popular exhibition at The Exchange.

"Whether it is a can of Red Bull, an iPhone or a love of karaoke there is something we can all identify with and it is Perry’s acutely observed attention to detail that makes these works so magical.

"Rich in colour and content, I see something new in them every time they are out on display.

"My thanks to the team at The Exchange for their incredible hard work and positivity in bringing this project together.”

Note on image credits: All are by Grayson Perry, 2012, Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre London and British Council. Copyright: Grayson Perry. Gift of the artist and Victoria Miro Gallery with the support of Channel 4 Television, the Art Fund and Sfumato Foundation with additional support from AlixPartners.