10 May 08.

Grayson Perry

On this finest day of the year, we set out for the De La Warr pavilion in Bexhill On Sea where Grayson Perry curated an exhibition of what he has called, "Unpopular Culture", a selection from the Arts Council collection. Perry argues that this show is a riposte to questionable contemporary British Art that has become “fashionable".

Some biggies are featured : Paul Nash, Victor Pasmore, Henry Moore, Antony Caro, and the Dame Frink, Perry has contributed two of his own new works for the show.  His sculptured skull is a reaction to the “fashionable” Damion Hurst and a trademark Perry pot has pride of place with a sea view.

The show is laced with black and white vintage photographs that acknowledge the pavilion setting by the sea and also Perry’s somewhat British seaside end-of-pier gender-bending lifestyle

Perry has a clear interest in curating and his 2006 show was well received by these pages. SEE THIS

This is a show of browns, and grays and burnt orange, sombre but superlative. And in a good year for art shows, this was perhaps the best so far.

As we ordered coffee in the Pavilion we noticed that the grumpy staff had sustained their grumpiness, since our last visit, even given the challenge of serving the difficult Monks.

READTHISIFYOUWILL

We moved on down the coast to Beachy Head, where the sublime  heat haze obscured the sea view, a still mill-pond infinity of aqua marine.

However, the tranquility was disturbed by fleets of fire engines and scurrying air-sea rescue teams of excited and committed action men, and hovering choppers.

We assumed the worse in this notorious suicide hot spot.

Grayson Perry did not have this in mind.

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