This summer, Wentworth Woodhouse welcomes an exhibition by one of the UK’s best-known artists, Turner-Prize winning Sir Grayson Perry.
The Vanity of Small Differences is a series of six large and exuberant tapestries inspired by 18th century painter William Hogarth’s A Rake’s Progress.
Grayson created the tapestries after his 2012 Channel 4 TV series All in the Best Possible Taste with Grayson Perry, which journeyed through Sunderland, Tunbridge Wells and The Cotswolds to explore the British fascination with class and what is – or isn’t – deemed good taste. He wove the characters, incidents and objects encountered along the way into his tapestries, which are now in the Arts Council Collection.
The tapestries will hang in four of the mansion’s State Rooms until Sunday 3rd September and it’s hoped they will inspire people to make their own textile art. The house will be running creative textile workshops throughout the summer to give visitors the chance to learn new skills from seven talented Yorkshire artists.
Featuring techniques from shish mirror embroidery to weaving and rag rugging, the workshops are supported by Flux Rotherham, an Arts Council England Creative People and Places programme.
Two-hour workshops for adults of all abilities will run in the mansion’s Low Drawing Room. Places cost £12 and include access to the exhibition, house and gardens.
Artists involved include Rotherham’s Amanda Daley and Karen Hall, of Doncaster. Inspired by Grayson’s ceramics and tapestries, on Wednesday 26th July, Amanda will be showing how to use textiles to create designs on vases to take home. Then on Tuesday 29th August, Karen will be teaching participants how to make miniature art pieces from mixed media.
Throughout the school summer holidays, there will be an opportunity for children to discover the tapestries in their own way and get creative with a selection of free activity sheets when they visit. There will also be three Bookmark Weaving Workshops for children on 23rd and 28th July and 12th August, priced at £3.50.
For more details of workshops and to book, visit the Wentworth Woodhouse website.
