Grayson Perry-Transvestite looking in the mirror

Grayson Perry had an exhibit showing called - Transvestite Looking In The Mirror.
This stood out for me

"A lot of ritual surrounds cross-dressing. Approaching the dressing table is akin to approaching an alter of some private religion. Preparations are made in a distinct order,all rites of passage into another world.

The transvestite's relationship with the mirror is intimate and charged. But the mirror can be cruel and show us that the paint and finery can only do so much and that what stares back at us falls short of a fantasy of femininity. I sometimes find a shadow of tragedy - but also strange nobility - in the faces of men who have faced a difficult-to-deal-with part of themselves in the mirror. Coming to terms with a compulsion that causes a man to put himself up for easy mockery,and sometimes disgust,leaves a mark beneath the makeup." Grayson Perry.

Wondering if this may resonate with anyone

Sophie

It certainly does.

Women look into the mirror and see every flaw, mar, and imperfection, men look into the mirror, suck in their gut and say Aah. Cd'ers probably go through both phases!

I've found the eye sees what the mind wants to see. It's in either boy or girl mode. If you think you're the 'cat's meow,' then you're going to see that. I've come to accept the aging process has set in. Nothing I can do will really mask my true identity. As far as viewing myself en femme I stay away from close up mirrors. There's a full length mirror that is my friend. No close up facials. What really blew me away was ordinary pictures of myself en drab. Even then my mind was fooled until I saw those nasty pictures from a summer BBQ. Not too bad for an aging guy, but, no young stud either. Frankly, photo shop may work here, but, out in the wild.....nope.

I find it an interesting comment but then there are more comments about us that are more apt.

Sophie,
I'm wondering if Grayson Perry is expecting or looking for that outcome because of his style of dress , he often wear outfits designed by his students .

I have more and more of a problem looking in the mirror in drab and seeing the man looking back at me .

Reading his words still leaves me wondering what crossdressing really means to him , he calls it a fantasy of femininity but does not express the need to change gender , to actually become a woman .
A good GG friend once said that CDers revert back to girls in puberty , to me that is the image Grayson portrays .

I do NOT see a man in my mirror. If I did, I think I'd quit dressing!:doh:

It's bad enuff that I must go out as a MIAD. But, I can't bear that look in my mirror!:brolleyes:

Attachment 300350

Made me sigh.

Sophie,

Every time I've seen Grayson Perry appearing in public his appearance is more china doll than say one of us who's trying to achieve a look as closely resembling a GG as we can.

Grayson's presentation is more caricature than close facimile and now having read his supposition I can see how his appearance reflects his personal turmoil.

I would personally class the mirror more as a tool in the same way as a makeup brush is a tool. That said there are a very few odd times when looking in the mirror does prompt me to wonder why. Why am I doing this but this soon passes and normal service is resumed.

I know my walls are adorned with mirrors yet never knew why? I even have a deep mirror behind my screen!

Vanity comes to mind, and that is self descriptive only!

My pic won't load dammit!
Stacy!

I think the particular quote is designed as artspeak for the exhibition. He writes a lot more in the Descent of Man that is more detailed and visceral and to the point of why we crossdress.

That said, art often picks up a central tendency for examination, and certainly women, and transvestites, love the mirror. Lots ofo practical reasons, of course, and the altar metaphor applies if we are approaching our dressing as a transformative spiritual experience! I love the quick look in the mirror, to catch the magic of my outfit- the first impression [disregarding the MIAD complications].

I don't do close examination, unless i am sewing and need to pay attention to the details of the draping!

I wish I had saved the mirrors I had when I was in my 20's. The image quality was a lot better in those!
They dont make mirrors like that anymore.

- Suzie

Suzie:

Well said. LMAO. I, too, remember those magical mirrors of my youth. They reflected true beauty.

Sophie, great conversation starter and I enjoyed everyone's responses. For me, I avoid the mirror (except for doing my makeup!) until I'm done with the change into Jamie, but once I'm "there" I wander around the house looking for my reflection in every surface, from the mirrors through to the microwave. The biggest thrill comes when I'm outside and looking in a glass door or a store front window but there are far too few opportunities for that.

I don't find myself looking into mirrors very often when I'm not Jamie, I guess that I see myself in two different ways and they are different. I guess that's part of the discussion about who "we" are, CD vs TV vs Trans, etc. I'm not looking to take the discussion that way but do see these differences as probably the most indicative of why we do what we do and how it works in each of us. As my usual self I see clothing as simply something that fits the needs of the day, a suit for business or professional situations and work pants/tees/sweats for everything else. When I get the chance to dress, clothing has a completely new purpose and effect. I have occasionally been able to be Jamie and begin to see myself as comfortable, the "Pink Fog" is an awesome experience and I look forward to it each and every time.

Love Grayson Perry. Not all his CDing is as the often pantomime (deliberately so) Claire. Look at what he wore when he got his MBE. Very conservative.
I also love his TV work.
Funnily enough I once saw him as Claire at a Liverpool cinema. My wife and I watched the obvious trannie (Claire isn't designed to pass, obviously) more than the film. Lol. Mind you it was 1998. I had no clue about his work at that time. 😄
I've just started reading his first autobiography at the mo, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Girl. I let you guys know if it's any good. 😉
I understand and sympathise with what he's expressed there.
Thanks Sophie for sharing.