Grayson Perry: Emotional Man
Context
Symbolism
Language
Emotional Man
Warning Fragile!
Free Therapist with every figure
Sugar
Grayson Perry (Born on March 24, 1960 in Chelmsford, Essex, England) is a prominent contemporary artist who works across a diverse range of mediums including ceramics, tapestries, and prints.
Spice
Misplaced pride
Intuition (Undeveloped)
Long Buried trauma
Empathy
Knot of anger
Thin skin
Bundle of insecurities
Small talk
Overdeveloped sense of entitlement
Love
Perry has earned a distinguished reputation for his insightful exploration of issues pertaining to identity, gender, class, and religion in his art. His work resonates with a global audience, and his distinctive artistic voice has cemented his position as a significant contributor to contemporary art discourse.
The Descent of Man
Autobiography by Grayson Perry
Written and illustrated a graphic novel
Published on October 20, 2016
Explores the concept of masculinity and how it is constructed, examining the impact of traditional ideas of masculinity on men and society as a whole.
offers a creative and engaging exploration of a complex and important topic.
Inspired from Charles Darwin's "The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex"
Published in 1871
Darwin details a theory that he calls “sexual selection”—the idea that, in many species, males battle other males for access to females, while in other species females choose the biggest or most attractive males to bond with
Perry implies every "emotional man" needs a therapist. They need to express the locked chest within in them (their trauma) to someone who understands them and can help them feel accepted.
The use of thin skin can be seen as a symbol of emotional vulnerability and sensitivity. The thin and delicate skin of the man's face depicted on the vase could represent the fragility of masculinity and the societal expectation for men to be tough and hide their emotions.
This phrase implies two things
A man with everything bottled up is fragile and may break at any moment
The topic of a man being anything but strong should be shunned and hidden and the traits men hide within themselves to fit in with society make up a fragile identity and a fragile topic to be discussed
This phrase is at the top of the illustration and is in a bold red color which is encapsulated in a yellow border.
It also represents the sacrifice (red) in identity to become what the world expects of you with your true personality and identity hidden under a layer of skin (yellow)
Misplaced pride can be seen as a symbol of toxic masculinity and the societal pressure for men to suppress their emotions in order to appear strong and self-assured.
This has replaced the position of the heart in the man's body and also has been represented the the color red. This shows the "fragility" of the anger stored up in a man and the torment they go through because society expects men to be leading figure that shows no emotion and is only required for innovation and advancement
The font of the text serves to depict pain. We can see the words dropping and being uneven. This shows the audience how this concept is "fragile"
The color of this text represents the danger of addressing this issue (red)
This is depicted by car keys and money in the man's right leg. This symbolizes that a man is only capable of love and of being able to provide for his family only is he is rich and can afford luxuries such as multiple cars and more
This is depicted by a small circular particle present in the chest of the man. The minuteness represents the lack of intuition present in a man or rather how undeveloped it is. Perry insinuates that a man is not efficient in thinking instinctively and is unable to respond to changes around them without proper reasoning and acceptance
click to edit
The male genitalia has been used to express this. It depicts how a man's worth is defined by his ability to reproduce. It also depicts how one part that differentiates males and females creates a huge divide and causes both to face different stereotypes and forces the male population to behave as per societal expectations
This is represented by a locked wooden chest at the center of the man's body. The location of this chest suggests that this is one part of a man that is hidden away deep within themselves surrounded by multiple other aspects so as it to not let it show in the slightest. It is an aspect that is not explored and further leads to the loss of identity.
Empathy has been portrayed by a hammer in the man's left leg. The hammer (empathy) seems to be constraining the man by not letting him walk properly. Perry uses this to explain to the audience that men are considered weak/restricted/incapable if they show empathy; Men are expected to be stern and emotionless in society whereas an emotion or characteristic such as empathy hinders them from being so
Structure
Placement of symbols
dagger in throat representing the "misplaced pride".
Confused and no look on his face
Distressed Expresion
Small Talk
This has been depicted by a bundle of papers rolled and tied up. This signifies that men are not supposed to show their insecurities and are made to hide them. Their insecurities are made to be crumpled up and hidden away where no one can even get a glimpse of them since insecurities make men "weak"
Small talk symbolizes how irrelevant toxic masculinity is in conversations and people would rather talk about random matters of no importance than pay any heed to important current time discrimination and similar issues
The "spice" could represent the idea that men are expected to add excitement and excitement to life, but not show vulnerability or emotional depth. Spice" could also represent the use of more extreme or risky behaviors, such as drug use or thrill-seeking, as a way to escape emotional pain.
(Suhishnu, Sai M. Arjun, Antara)
Global Issues
Identity, Culture and Community
On various occasions, he has spoken about how cultural expectations and norms can impact emotional expression, and how individuals may feel pressure to conform to these expectations. Perry may also explore how cultural and social factors shape personal identities, and how these identities intersect with other aspects of social identity such as gender, race, and class.
Beliefs, Values and Education
Perry’s art is a challenge to societal norms and how society believes in the preconceived notions of what a man is supposed to be like having a knot of anger, bundle of insecurities and misplaced pride. These are the traits of toxic masculinity which the society requires a man to behave as for them to be considered a man. This also affects each person’s individual values, affecting their growth. Some examples which clearly identify to this are long buried trauma and spice where due to not having a mentally healthy environment, people develop such mental instability. This is caused due to present day education, not the ones provided by schools but them gaining knowledge from their family, friends, elders and others around them who require them to not express their emotions easily and the fact that they show empathy causes them to to be represented as weak or incapable as a man.
Power, Politics and Justice
Perry's work often critiques power structures and political systems that exist in society. He has explored the ways in which political and economic elites maintain their power and privilege, and has highlighted the negative effects of inequality and injustice. Through his art, Perry has called for greater accountability and transparency in government and business, and has encouraged the empowerment of marginalized and disenfranchised groups.