Film review ~ 'All in the best possible taste', Grayson Perry. -Art 180.

(Box of Broadcasts episodes). (Accessed: Tuesday 12th March 2019)

Three part series in which artist and winner of the Turner Prize, Greyson Perry explores the taste tribes of Britain, not just to observe our taste, but to tell us in an artwork what it means. The work he created is a series of six imposing tapestries called 'The Vanity of Small Differences' - his personal but panoramic take on the taste of Britain. Tapestries as a medium has a resonance of grandeur, traditionally a status symbol of the rich- used to depict a common place drama.

In each episode he embeds himself with people from across our social spectrum - the working classes of Sunderland, the middle classes of Tunbridge Wells and the upper classes of the Cotswolds - in a bid to get to with our differing takes on taste.

In this episode, (Ep 3), Perry arrives in Sunderland, a city with strong working-class traditions.

Ever since Perry was a child, he had been very aware of the visual environment people build around themselves. Leading him, in adult life to 'decode' their choices. Questioning why his Nan's front room, filled with brass ornament's and pot plants, look like it did? Why does the owner of a castle and acres of land wear a threadbare tweed jacket? People seem to be curating their possessions to communicate consciously, or more often unconsciously, where they want to fit into society.

But what is taste? What is culture in society? Who decides what?...

The matter of how 'class' is reproduced or viewed in the episode is perhaps shown as a concept of rules, values and taste: how the people of Sunderland dressed, carried themselves and payed attention to trends was key to feeling empowered in their part in society.

Everyone, it seemed, decided in some shape or form that one's social class determined one's taste, or more so, how they wanted to express or perhaps be viewed as a higher category of societal class. For example the indications to wear certain forms of dress or to drive a modified car may signify one's social status, more so than factors such as race or religion. Being a 'part' of a 'trend' was shown significantly in this episode. Pride and perception is a 'way of life', characterised by heritage, tradition and a need of belonging to the community where evident in common shared values of taste. What we call taste is self interest, merely a selection of symbolic associations we use to set ourselves apart from other social ranking. We all want to earn respect from peers and that reputation spreads and it expands from there. Our preference, characteristics and expressive nature in life shows we are individuals 'painting our own canvas'. Human beings are a complex organism, as such we 'require' mixtures of things to fulfill our needs and desires. However, a spoken theme from the episode deems the association and influences of education and income could advantage social position in society, which in turn would effect cultural tastes.

What I can take from this episode is that taste is defined on who we inspire to be.... be influential, don't be judgemental, expression is ok.