Grayson Perry’s Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman is the best example yet of a contemporary artist working with a museum collection. Inspiration sits next to Perry’s recent works, often leaving you guessing as to whether the object was made by him, or, as you find out a Ghanian or Peruvian craftsman from centuries earlier. This creates a playful atmosphere the collection’s objects feel refreshed and re-animated in this context.
Grayson’s ceramic works are jaw-droppingly beautiful, his wry observations of the whims and mores of contemporary society rendered delicately the exterior of vases and plates are as peculiar as those on the historial objects. Craftsmen, artists have for time immemorial used objects to create a visual commentary about the world around them.
The Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman is at the British Museum until 26 February 2012
