January 27, 2023 - 10:08am
There is a rich, but uneven, English tradition of cosmopolitan artsy types shouldering their travelling pack and setting out to take the temperature of the provincial realm. It is part of a noble-minded attempt to depict and understand its political-cultural fabric on behalf of the capital. All too often, these pen portraits turn into caricatures. Grayson Perry — the artist best known for his ceramics, cross-dressing and barking laugh — is the latest to take up this challenge, in his new documentary series, Grayson Perry’s Full English.
The first episode, which aired last night, was less a study of Englishness than of grainy, superficial stereotypes. Perry’s first move is to hire himself a white van man (Kirk from Bradford) as his driver. He makes immediately for Dover, where he meets Jeremy, a wedding DJ, oddball and WW2 obsessive who cruises the Channel trying to deter would-be migrants (in defence, Perry editorialises, of “whiteness itself”). He then LARPs as a deer spirit with some knock-off druids. He takes afternoon tea. He picks out clothes and baubles with someone called Pearl Lowe (me neither — apparently the wife of the drummer from Supergrass).
This is thin gruel, and one might by this point ask, are we here for Perry’s education or entertainment? We certainly aren’t getting much of either for ourselves. These characters don’t represent anyone, nor do they truly illustrate the themes Perry portentously proclaims as his subheadings: “history”, “class”, “place”. Instead of tackling Englishness at its core, he is content to skulk and prance at its eccentric frontiers, skirting any confrontation with its real paradoxes and atavisms.
Perry made a similar post-referendum tour in 2017, and more recently explored the American continent on a motorbike. Both programmes were characterised by a cheerful yet attentive curiosity, which treated the political divisions of each country with subtlety and respect. Much of his recent works, in ceramic and tapestry, have formed social narratives and surveys, such as his “Divided Nation” Brexit vases.
So he should have been well suited to this task. Like Orwell exploring the North with both an Etonian accent and a tramp-like dress sense, Sir Grayson has roots within and without the metropole. He is Essex-born, the product, he has said, of a violent and tempestuous home. But he is also the avatar of a different aristocracy, one which attends Tate openings, prizes its coffee table tomes and will sagely admire Perry’s work for its fluid and colourful interest in form, gender and sexuality.
But the opportunity to treat English identity with the nuance it deserves has been wasted here. Much of Perry’s analysis, delivered through punchy narration, makes too straightforward a contrast between the multicultural Englishness of the present, and the nostalgic leftovers of the past. There is little recognition that the future will have to involve a synthesis of these perspectives. The climax of the programme sees Perry join “Right to Roam” protesters dressed in animal onesies at Richard Benyon’s Englefield estate: another “national” perspective which is laughably fringe.
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SubscribeI am always shocked to hear that these sort of programmes are still aired as I haven’t watched TV for so many years.
How anyone could voluntarily watch such predictable, pedestrian content is beyond me.
If you want to learn about migrant crossings to Dover, druidism, afternoon tea or buying vintage clothes, YouTube is full of in-depth videos made by people who are actually involved and care about the subjects. And those videos don’t mess about setting the scene, re-capping what has happened so far, vox-poping “ordinary folk”, trying to set up tension or lecturing the viewer with bien-pensant opinion. And if you pay a sub, its ad-free.
If you want to understand sociological issues in modern Britain, get an UnHerd sub.
As for the presenter, I am barely aware of his existence so his “national treasure” status seems a bit of a reach.
Excellent comment, and hear hear.
Agreed.
Agreed.
You’ve not missed much overlooking Perry. I’ve seen a couple of documentaries/interviews of him and he’s remarkably dim, even by the standards of artists, who tend to plumb the depths of stupidity. He’s also very much a stereotype too, the English eccentric, but thinks he’s very different, which is quite amusing too.
Your opening sentence struck a chord, as I cancelled my TV licence 15 years ago, and TV on the rare occasions I glimpse it nowadays just seems utterly alien.
Excellent comment, and hear hear.
You’ve not missed much overlooking Perry. I’ve seen a couple of documentaries/interviews of him and he’s remarkably dim, even by the standards of artists, who tend to plumb the depths of stupidity. He’s also very much a stereotype too, the English eccentric, but thinks he’s very different, which is quite amusing too.
Your opening sentence struck a chord, as I cancelled my TV licence 15 years ago, and TV on the rare occasions I glimpse it nowadays just seems utterly alien.
I am always shocked to hear that these sort of programmes are still aired as I haven’t watched TV for so many years.
How anyone could voluntarily watch such predictable, pedestrian content is beyond me.
If you want to learn about migrant crossings to Dover, druidism, afternoon tea or buying vintage clothes, YouTube is full of in-depth videos made by people who are actually involved and care about the subjects. And those videos don’t mess about setting the scene, re-capping what has happened so far, vox-poping “ordinary folk”, trying to set up tension or lecturing the viewer with bien-pensant opinion. And if you pay a sub, its ad-free.
If you want to understand sociological issues in modern Britain, get an UnHerd sub.
As for the presenter, I am barely aware of his existence so his “national treasure” status seems a bit of a reach.
Which rather sums up why the English tend to regard the arts as the province of supercilious ponces, best ignored.
Interesting if depressing to see the false equation of “Englishness” with “multiculturalism”
Supercilious ponces! Nail on the head, Ben. Twee grant chasing regime propagandists dressing up as counterculture rebels and boosted by a similarly tame media
Excellently put.
Excellently put.
Supercilious ponces! Nail on the head, Ben. Twee grant chasing regime propagandists dressing up as counterculture rebels and boosted by a similarly tame media
Which rather sums up why the English tend to regard the arts as the province of supercilious ponces, best ignored.
Interesting if depressing to see the false equation of “Englishness” with “multiculturalism”
Would Grayson Perry have ‘made it’ as an artist/commentator if he hadn’t started cross dressing? I doubt it. His art and commentary are bang on average (I’m being generous). Pull on a dress, get noticed, there’s the path to riches.
Would Grayson Perry have ‘made it’ as an artist/commentator if he hadn’t started cross dressing? I doubt it. His art and commentary are bang on average (I’m being generous). Pull on a dress, get noticed, there’s the path to riches.
Excellent review. Thanks you. This is another good example of why I value Unherd.
Yeah, I thought this short piece was very well written (even though I’d never heard of Perry).
Yeah, I thought this short piece was very well written (even though I’d never heard of Perry).
Excellent review. Thanks you. This is another good example of why I value Unherd.
Perry is proof of the adage that what you get from state sponsorship of the arts is state sponsored art.
Perry is proof of the adage that what you get from state sponsorship of the arts is state sponsored art.
I managed to watch just 10 minutes last night before coming to pretty much the same conclusion. I should declare my interests: i’m not a fan of his artwork, i simply find it trivial. I’ve not seen any of the other travelogues he’s made but wouldn’t go seek them out, either before or after this latest one in his homeland.
Perry typifies a certain type of English eccentricity, whilst he’d probably baulk at such typecasting. Good luck to him and i can admire him for living the lifestyle of his choice.
I managed to watch just 10 minutes last night before coming to pretty much the same conclusion. I should declare my interests: i’m not a fan of his artwork, i simply find it trivial. I’ve not seen any of the other travelogues he’s made but wouldn’t go seek them out, either before or after this latest one in his homeland.
Perry typifies a certain type of English eccentricity, whilst he’d probably baulk at such typecasting. Good luck to him and i can admire him for living the lifestyle of his choice.
I’ve always thought of him as one of those inexplicably patronising my-year-in-Provence Remainer types.
I’ve always thought of him as one of those inexplicably patronising my-year-in-Provence Remainer types.