Grayson Perry opens 'rough and tumble' Royal Academy art show
Artist and coordinator of the Royal Academy of Arts 250th Summer Exhibition, Grayson Perry, poses for a photograph at the press launch of the exhibition in London, Britain June 5, 2018. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls
LONDON (Reuters) - A "Vote Leave" Brexit referendum poster that graffiti artist Banksy has transformed to read "Vote to Love" is among the highlights of the summer exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, which curator Grayson Perry opened to the media on Tuesday.
Dressed in an multicolored, over-sized onesie decorated with teddy bears, a pair of yellow platform shoes and a tiny orange plastic sombrero perched on his purple wig, Perry called his edition of the annual show a "celebration".
"I've tried to channel the basic spirit of the summer show, which is one of a kind of democratic rough and tumble ... the great and the good - the established artists - have to hang next to Joe Bloggs who does it for a hobby," the Turner Prize-winning ceramicist told Reuters.
An artwork by artist Banksy entitled Vote to Love is seen amongst other works at the Royal Academy of Arts 250th Summer Exhibition, in London, Britain June 5, 2018. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls
"It's a festival of art making ... It's a celebration of all the different kinds of genres."
The first art work visitors will see is "Symphony for a beloved daughter", a giant red circle erected like a satellite dish in the courtyard of the grand Palladian mansion that houses the Royal Academy, near London's Piccadilly Circus.
That is one of the more than 1,300 pieces on display in what the Academy calls the "largest and oldest open-submission art show in the world," this year in its 250th edition.
An artwork by Joana Vasconcelos entitled Royal Valkyrie is seen amongst other works at the Royal Academy of Arts 250th Summer Exhibition, in London, Britain June 5, 2018. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls
Also on display at the show, which runs from June 12 to Aug. 19, are works by David Hockney, Wolfgang Tillmans and Tracey Emin.
(Reporting by George Sargent; Writing by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
Artist and coordinator of the Royal Academy of Arts 250th Summer Exhibition, Grayson Perry, talks to journalists at the press launch of the exhibition in London, Britain June 5, 2018. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls Artist and coordinator of the Royal Academy of Arts 250th Summer Exhibition, Grayson Perry, talks to journalists at the press launch of the exhibition in London, Britain June 5, 2018. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls Artist and coordinator of the Royal Academy of Arts 250th Summer Exhibition, Grayson Perry, poses for a selfie at the press launch of the exhibition in London, Britain June 5, 2018. REUTERS/Peter NichollsAn artwork by Luke wade entitled Five Grand depicting Grenfell Tower is seen amongst other works at the Royal Academy of Arts 250th Summer Exhibition, in London, Britain June 5, 2018. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls Artist and coordinator of the Royal Academy of Arts 250th Summer Exhibition, Grayson Perry, talks to journalists at the press launch of the exhibition in London, Britain June 5, 2018. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls A member of the Royal Academy of Arts staff poses for a photograph in one of the galleries displaying artworks of 250th Summer Exhibition at the press launch of the exhibition in London, Britain June 5, 2018. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls Journalists view artworks in one of the galleries displaying the 250th Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts press launch in London, Britain June 5, 2018. REUTERS/Peter NichollsAn artwork by David Hockney is seen amongst other works at the Royal Academy of Arts 250th Summer Exhibition, in London, Britain June 5, 2018. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls A member of the Royal Academy of Arts staff walks into one of the galleries displaying artworks of 250th Summer Exhibition at the press launch of the exhibition in London, Britain June 5, 2018. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls
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