Results 1 to 15 of 15

Thread: Grayson Perry-Transvestite looking in the mirror

  1. #1
    mini kilted chick t-girlxsophie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Lanarkshire,Bonnie Scotland
    Posts
    3,004

    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
    We look to Scotland,for all our Ideas of Civilisation-Voltaire

    ========================================

    A woman who loves to wear beautiful clothes is like a flower.
    A man who loves to emulate these women is a special flower-a rose
    Facebook:Sophie Johnson

  2. #2
    Member Joan58's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Midwest
    Posts
    413
    It certainly does.
    Joan58

  3. #3
    I accept myself as is Gillian Gigs's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Central Alberta, Canada
    Posts
    1,433
    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 like myself, regardless of the packaging that I may come in! It's what is on the inside of the package that counts!

  4. #4
    Platinum Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Western Washington
    Posts
    14,303
    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.

  5. #5
    Platinum Member Beverley Sims's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
    Location
    Lowestoft UK. Beverley was here.
    Posts
    30,955
    I find it an interesting comment but then there are more comments about us that are more apt.
    Work on your elegance,
    and beauty will follow.

  6. #6
    Banned Read only
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    13,082
    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 .

  7. #7
    Female Illusionist! docrobbysherry's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Orange County, Calif.
    Posts
    24,843
    I do NOT see a man in my mirror. If I did, I think I'd quit dressing!

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

    15IMG_5970 (512x640).jpg
    U can't keep doing the same things over and over and expect to enjoy life to the max. When u try new things, even if they r out of your comfort zone, u may experience new excitement and growth that u never expected.

    Challenge yourself and pursue your passions! When your life clock runs out, you'll have few or NO REGRETS!

  8. #8
    New Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Posts
    2
    Made me sigh.

  9. #9
    Gold Member Helen_Highwater's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Midlands UK
    Posts
    7,188
    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.

  10. #10
    Mannequiniste ! Stacy Darling's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    New South Wales
    Posts
    1,684
    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!
    STOP, Well I just dance the way I feel
    Stop breathing imagine none of this is real

    Well I just dance the way I feel
    Well I just dance the way I feel
    Well I just dance the way I feel
    "Ou Est Le Swimming Pool"

  11. #11
    Senior Member phili's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    San Francisco Peninsula
    Posts
    1,661
    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!
    We are all beautiful...!

  12. #12
    New "old" girl Suzie Petersen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    I am lost, and I like it. Don't find me!
    Posts
    1,044
    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

  13. #13
    Seasoned Member Rhonda Darling's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Near Winston-Salem, N.C.
    Posts
    1,146
    Suzie:

    Well said. LMAO. I, too, remember those magical mirrors of my youth. They reflected true beauty.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Be all the woman that you can be!
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    . . . and now, On With The Show!

  14. #14
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    NJ, where else?
    Posts
    424
    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.

  15. #15
    Aspiring Member abbiedrake's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    783
    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.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  


Check out these other hot web properties:
Catholic Personals | Jewish Personals | Millionaire Personals | Unsigned Artists | Crossdressing Relationship
BBW Personals | Latino Personals | Black Personals | Crossdresser Chat | Crossdressing QA
Biker Personals | CD Relationship | Crossdressing Dating | FTM Relationship | Dating | TG Relationship


The crossdressing community is one that needs to stick together and continue to be there for each other for whatever one needs.
We are always trying to improve the forum to better serve the crossdresser in all of us.

Browse Crossdressers By State