“My job is to notice things that other people don’t notice.”

Published by Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, February 2016, the book: ‘Grayson Perry; My pretty little art career’ is immediately false in its representation of its content.
The title conveys the idea that it is an autobiography written by Perry himself, as the use of the word “My” appears in the title and the quote I have written above. However, as you actually begin to read, they find that this book is a collection of anecdotes, facts and opinions of Perry’s work written by people such as Rachel Kent and Louisa Buck, and only a small, ten page section is written by Grayson Perry where the style of writing does change to that of an autobiography.

It could be argued that the care and artistic attention make this book incredibly aesthetically pleasing and this aspect is what can get a reader hooked.
After reading this book it is enjoyable to notice how it is put together. Not only does the title and the quote fool the reader, but it also implies pretentiousness; as if Perry is saying that the human race is oblivious to its surroundings and he is not – he notices things that others do not.

Whereas in truth this book has a very grounded atmosphere, it isn’t difficult to read or understand. This book about a man who creates art and enjoys doing so. Therefore the quote is brought to life through this book, as it has been put together in a way that makes the unnoticeable nature and humour that is apparent throughout; noticeable.

Bibliography: Grayson Perry: My pretty little art career, published February 2016 by Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.

Through constant scrolling on social media I found artists online and Mr. Doodle was one of these. His pieces consist of constant doodling, using a marker pen, on various different surfaces and I adored it. He creates humorous characters, all of which are different from one another, at a pace that I am simply in awe of. I have found myself watching his videos on Instagram, wondering how he can make all of it up right on the spot. I was so intrigued, I decided to give it a try. I found a marker pen, opened my sketchbook and set to work.

As art students we are taught to plan ahead of time, making sure that everything is written out and ready for the deadline. This is the complete opposite, a challenge. From the beginning I decided against creating little characters because I knew I would not be able to conjure them up in so short a time, so I made the conscious decision to experiment with lines and marks. I started slow and eventually sped up until I realised I had become stuck in a repetitive pattern and would have to reprogram the way I was thinking, into a new perspective – opening up my mind for new ideas.

Gradually, the process became easier as I figured out new ways to create interesting patterns of repetition. In addition to this, it was refreshing to try something completely alien to me and actually enjoy the dizzying outcome that my experiment resulted in.