The Vanity of Small Differences tells the story of class mobility and the influence social class has on our aesthetic taste.
Inspired by William Hogarth's 'A Rake's Progress' the six tapestries chart the 'class journey' made by young Tim Rakewell and include many of the characters, incidents and objects Grayson Perry encountered on journeys through Sunderland, Tunbridge Wells and The Cotswolds for the television series 'All in the Best Possible Taste with Grayson Perry'.
The television programmes were first aired on Channel 4 in May/June 2012. 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.
This major work, gifted to the Arts Council Collection and the British Council by the artist and Victoria Miro Gallery, London, and its UK tour is supported by Channel 4 Television, the Art Fund, Sfumato Foundation and AlixPartners. After the initial UK tour in 2013-14, the tapestries will be available as a loan to museums and galleries in the UK.
Grayson Perry's The Vanity of Small Differences
More information
Title of artwork, date
The Vanity of Small Differences, 2012
Date supported
2013
Medium and material
Textiles
Dimensions
200 x 400 cm (each tapestry)
Grant
37040
Total cost
77040
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