Death – not the easiest of subjects to talk about , but somehow Grayson Perry gets it right . I think the man is a genius .
Last night I watched one of his Rites of Passage series and I was so moved and so interested and so sad , because I defy anyone to watch a programme like that ,and not think about the closest person to you ,whose death you have witnessed..
I admire his gentle ,empathetic manner .He has the ability to be quiet and to listen .His questions to the bereaved and dying are pertinent ,relevant and sensitive .His dialogue is thought-provoking and his art , beautiful .
In a very understated and dignified way ,he joined in the rituals .
A march around the estate where 17year old Jordan, a young lad who was knocked down by a drink-driver ,lived. For this he made a beautiful gold icon
He was MC at a celebration of Roch’s life .Roch who has since died , was near the end of his life ,he had motor neurone disease .Roch spoke and heard the tributes his friends and family gave him .Grayson had made an urn ,in which people could leave their momentos .It was truly amazing .
Funnily enough ,the one I struggled with most was the Toraja tribe ,where mourners will live alongside the body of a departed loved one for a year or more before any kind of public ceremony is held. This sort of freaked me out a bit .
After a night of over-thinking , it now makes perfect sense .