Grayson Perry, the transvestite potter, whose ceramic vases and tapestries have earned him acclaim and prizes has an extensive exhibition about to open in London. He is well known for cross-dressing, as well as his observations of the contemporary arts scene, and for dissecting British “prejudices, fashions and foibles”. There is a strong autobiographical element in his work, in which images of Perry as “Claire”, his female alter-ego, and “Alan Measles”, his childhood teddy bear, often appear.
He was born into a working-class family, his father leaving when he was four after discovering his mother was having an affair with a milkman, whom she later married and who Perry has claimed was violent. During an unhappy childhood moving between his parents he created a fantasy world based around his teddy in order to cope with his sense of anxiety. He became estranged from his mother and stepfather in his adult life. He is married to author and psychotherapist Philippa Perry and they have one daughter.
Being provocative, breaking taboos and setting out to shock appears to be one of his driving delights. He was recently ennobled by the Prince of Wales wearing a taffeta dress. He has a 12th house Aries Sun on the focal point of a yod inconjunct Neptune sextile Pluto, with his Sun square Jupiter – a curious mix of under confident about his identity and over-the-top. His Aquarius Moon which will love to shock is conjunct a forceful, stubborn Mars in Aquarius opposition Uranus in his creative 5th house so he will have an explosive desire to stir up startled reactions.
His Pluto is also in his attention-demanding 5th house in an Earth Grand Trine to a Taurus Ascendant trine Jupiter, with Pluto opposition Venus in Pisces.
Last but not least he has Saturn in Capricorn in his 10th giving him a work ethic and the discipline to hold his wilder tendencies in check.
If I’d had a happy childhood I definitely wouldn’t have become the person I am – although a bad childhood isn’t a recipe for being a creative person. There are many people in the arts who come from perfectly happy, middle-class homes.
Grayson Perry
Thanks Marjorie – how apt Grayson Perry has an Earth Grand trine, since he works with clay! And although his tapestries are machine woven, they too are a tactile form of art – and another form that hasn’t always been appreciated by the arts establishment, so perhaps a way of subverting traditional ‘norms’?
Looking briefly at two other art world eccentrics – Gilbert and George (motto ‘Art for All’), they too have earthy vibes. Gilbert, 17 September 1943 is Virgo with Taurus Moon and ascendant. George, 8 January 1942, an earth dominated chart with Capricorn Sun, Mercury, Mars, Virgo Moon, Neptune, Nodes, and Taurus Saturn and Uranus. No yods for either man, but both have Mars and Mercury aspected by Uranus. Their formal clothes and rigid daily routines are performative art, their work is subversive in many ways.
I was interested in Grayson Perry’s yod too, plus the quincunx aspect on its own. I’ve been wondering if these can signify eccentricity, the assumption of various identities, and so on. Perhaps as a way to express the various tensions involved in managing/expressing the natal aspect? We touched on them in your recent post about several trans individuals I think.
Jane, I remember reading that GP’s different identities came about as a result of his childhood traumas. A kind of splitting in order to gain back some kind of control. I believe there are very rare cases of what is called Identity Dissociative Disorder which develops as a defence in order to survive extreme trauma. The ruler of his Cancerian 4th is the Moon which is in Aquarius and conjunct Chiron, which implies wounds and an erratic home life. His work is full of references to his shattered childhood.
His Juno (which I associate with marriage) in the 8th is perhaps a reflection of his own marriage to Philippa Perry, who wrote “The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read” is psychologist who specialises in childhood trauma.
Thank you VF. GP is fascinating, and a compelling example of someone whose strategies to overcome trauma have been so creative and successful, particularly in our world where to be ‘normal’ is prized so highly.
I’ve been thinking about English eccentrics in general since reading Marjorie’s post, and even wondering about the UK 1801 yod of Jupiter, Uranus and Pluto. I suspect society had a wider margin for eccentricity before the Industrial Revolution took hold, the advent of mass education, and the increasingly set hours of work for the general population. Yet that yod suggests an underlying tension in the UK as a whole, and finds itself sitting in creative, spiritual Pisces, artistic Libra, and romantic, theatrical Leo. Perhaps we really need our eccentric artists and ‘outsiders’ to (partly) express that for us?
As an astro curiousity, I’ll add JMW Turner, 23 April 1775 – an ‘outsider’ because of his working class roots, and an eccentric recluse at the end of his hugely productive life. Another very earthy individual, astrologically, with various quincunxes. He also has a subtle yod that reflects the signs in the UK 1801 yod – it has Saturn 3 Libra, Black Moon Lilith 0 Leo, and South Node 0 Pisces.
Thanks Jane, you’ve made me start to look at Yods in a different way. Have you seen the Mike Leigh film about Turner, wonderfully played by Tim Spall? William Blake, another of our great British artists and eccentrics also had a Yod on his visionary, imaginative 1st house Mars/Neptune conjunction in Leo, with 6th house Venus in Capricorn and 9th house Uranus in Pisces (Placidus). In his case, his visionary work was very much influenced by his parents’ Moravian faith, a very early form of Protestantism which originated in 15th Century Bohemia (Uranus in the 9th) as well his work ethic as a printer and engraver, (Venus in Cap).
Yes, I loved that film! And also a big fan of William Blake – I’ve noticed how I appreciate his work in new ways as I get older too.
I have two yods in my own chart (yes, childhood both eccentric and erratic) and so have been extra interested in them, plus the quincunx, for some time now. I think the quincunx is a major aspect really, and I remember we’ve previously discussed the transiting one brought about by Pluto sextile Neptune impacting planets in Leo. So pretty soon Virgo planets will have some to deal with, and perhaps may be able to ground the fizzy energies of Aries and Aquarius with some Virgoan eye for detail?
I really feel the quincunxes in my chart and if anything, they seem to play more of a role than the soft aspects. In some respects they are more compelling than squares/
I think our sceptered isle has always been more than a little offbeat. When the Romans arrived during the Claudian invasion of AD 43 – the second invasion, for under Julius Caesar they took one look at us and our infamous weather and quickly hurried back to Rome – they found a wild, long-haired people, dressed in rainbow coloured plaid, faces often painted blue with woad with a fondness for a lot of decorative jewellery and for those of higher status, chunky gold torques around their necks. In battle we rendered our hair white with lime, spiked it and painted ourselves to appear as inhuman as possible. I’m more than reminded of the crowds at a modern football game!
What does it mean when you have all those plants bunched up in a quadrant of your chart?