On February 16 – March 22, 2017, IZOLYATSIA is hosting The Vanity of Small Differences, an exhibition by one of the most high-profile contemporary British artists, Grayson Perry. The event marks the start of the British Council’s 25th anniversary celebrations of its work in Ukraine and the launch of its 2017 arts programme.
The Vanity of Small Differences consists of a series of six large-scale tapestries by Perry, which explores the British fascination with taste and class. Inspired by the 18th-century painter William Hogarth’s moral tale, A Rake’s Progress, the tapestries follow the life of a fictional character called Tim Rakewell, as he develops from infancy through his teenage and middle years, to his untimely death in a bloody car accident. The tapestries are rich in both content and colour and depict many of the eccentricities and peculiarities associated with life in the UK, from interior design to British cuisine, political protest and celebrity gossip. The composition of each tapestry also recalls early Renaissance religious painting, drawing us into an art historical, as well as a socio-political exploration. The tapestries were produced in 2012 and have previously been exhibited in numerous museums around the world.
Image: Grayson Perry The Annunciation of the Virgin Deal (detail) 2012 © the artist. Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London and British Council. Gift of the artist and Victoria Miro with the support of Channel 4 Television, the Art Fund and Sfumato Foundation with additional support from Alix Partners.
