Grayson Perry and Matthew R Lewis
Grayson Perry, Potter.
Matthew met Grayson in the late 80's.
Now, thirty years or so later, and ten years after Matthew's death they are reconnected.
Earlier this year a selection of Matthew's portraits of Grayson were acquired by the National Portrait Gallery, donated to mark Matthew's tenth anniversary.
Synchronicity.
An exhibition of Grayson's early work - 'Grayson Perry The Pre-Therapy Years' is now open at The Holburne Museum, Bath.
Matthew's portrait of Grayson as Claire sitting in her studio reconnects two very special, beautiful and talented artists.
From Matthew:
'Grayson works very hard and he is very sensitive, even as a small boy, but mostly he is a shy girl called Claire.
Grayson is a transvestite and this year he won the much-coveted Turner Prize, twenty thousand pounds! Now, I made this photograph about twenty years ago. And ever since that day Grayson has worked and worked and worked. It sounds like a lot of money but take it from me, it's not. Stretched over twenty years twenty thousand probably works out at about five pounds a day. Great Artists are always underpaid. It's a historical thing
Nevertheless, I'm glad he is the winner.'