Animal Spirit (blue) und weitere Werke von Grayson Perry

(Gift Print, 2017)

Perry is known for narrative tapestry and ceramic works that comment on social issues relating to class, race, and gender. He treats these themes in his print works as well. Animal Spirit (blue) was made as a result of Perry’s studies into masculinity, in which he spent time shadowing several professional groups that are mostly made up of men. The imagery in this work was particularly inspired by his time spent in the banking industry. The artist depicts a partially tamed wild animal with combined features of the bull and the bear, both symbols used to describe financial markets. Perry’s monster may appear domesticated by the ring in its nose, but it dominates and imperils the world around it.