Grayson Perry – on a mission to shock – Astroinform with Marjorie Orr
Grayson Perry, the transvestite potter, whose ceramic vases and tapestries have earned him acclaim and prizes has an extensive exhibition about to open in London. He is well known for cross-dressing, as well as his observations of the contemporary arts scene, and for dissecting British “prejudices, fashions and foibles”. There is a strong autobiographical element in his work, in which images of Perry as “Claire”, his female alter-ego, and “Alan Measles”, his childhood teddy bear, often appear.
He was born into a working-class family, his father leaving when he was four after discovering his mother was having an affair with a milkman, whom she later married and who Perry has claimed was violent. During an unhappy childhood moving between his parents he created a fantasy world based around his teddy in order to cope with his sense of anxiety. He became estranged from his mother and stepfather in his adult life. He is married to author and psychotherapist Philippa Perry and they have one daughter.
Being provocative, breaking taboos and setting out to shock appears to be one of his driving delights. He was recently ennobled by the Prince of Wales wearing a taffeta dress. He has a 12th house Aries Sun on the focal point of a yod inconjunct Neptune sextile Pluto, with his Sun square Jupiter – a curious mix of under confident about his identity and over-the-top. His Aquarius Moon which will love to shock is conjunct a forceful, stubborn Mars in Aquarius opposition Uranus in his creative 5th house so he will have an explosive desire to stir up startled reactions.
His Pluto is also in his attention-demanding 5th house in an Earth Grand Trine to a Taurus Ascendant trine Jupiter, with Pluto opposition Venus in Pisces.
Last but not least he has Saturn in Capricorn in his 10th giving him a work ethic and the discipline to hold his wilder tendencies in check.
