Talking Points: Grayson Perry A Map of Days

A collection of imagery and sources designed to introduce pupils to “A Map of Days” by Grayson Perry.

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ages 9-11
ages 11-14
ages 14-16
free to access

A Map of Days by Grayson Perry

“Grayson Perry RA created this map of a walled city as a self-portrait for an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. He said ‘I thought the walled city was a good metaphor – the wall, I suppose, can roughly be interpreted as your skin. But like any city, it’s dependent on the landscape it sits in as well.’ “ RA

See the Map on Google Arts & Culture.

Interview about the making of the map. 

Note for teachers on adult content: Please be advised that from 0.24 to 0.39 and 1.34 until 1.57 of this video, there is inappropriate language shown on the map. You may wish to show up to this point or to skip past the shot of the language in question.

Questions to Ask Children:

How does Grayson Perry use text in the map?

Can you find text on buildings as well as street names? How do you think he decides which text to make small, and which to make larger?

How much does Grayson Perry reveal about himself through the map?

Can you spot any symbols or visual metaphors? 

This Talking Points Is Used In...

using sketchbooks to make visual notes

Show me what you see