This Graphic Novel by
Turner-Prize winning artist Grayson Perry was written and published back in 1992. Now, two decades on, it has been re-released as a deluxe hardback
edition, with a new foreword by the artist.
The story is of
Bradley Gaines, a professional cyclist (no relation to Wiggins!) in the year 2023 who is fighting his
inner demons as a result of an abusive childhood. Cycle of Violence is a work
of aggressive catharsis; It is impulsive, immediate and deeply personal.
Grayson Perry,
inspired by outsider artists such as Henry Darger, created a work that has the
look and feel of Outsider Art; It is crude, but honest. In style, it pays
homage to the ornate looping graphics of Aubrey Beardsley, drawing the viewer
into the visual carnage with contrasting sensitivity.
Perry describes
reading it again as "a striking encounter with my younger angrier
self". But whilst it may represent
a very different moment in his life, it is instantly recognisable as the work of the superstar we know today. It glitters with his trademark humour: that ability to not take himself too seriously, which is all too rare and so so valuable.
Cycle of Violence by Grayson Perry costs £16.50 and is available
in the Bookartbookshop now. It is published by Atlas Press.
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