The latest exhibit in Gallery 1420 continues the The Great Tapestry of Scotland visitor centre’s world-renowned reputation for storytelling through the medium of tapestry and textiles. Two tapestries tell the life of Julie Cope, a fictional character created by the artist Grayson Perry.
Julie Cope as created by Grayson Perry – is an Essex everywoman whose story he has told through the two tapestries and extended ballad presented in the exhibition. The Essex House Tapestries: The Life of Julie Cope (2015) illustrate the key events in the heroine’s journey from her birth during the Canvey Island floods of 1953 to her untimely death in a tragic accident on a Colchester street. Rich in cultural and architectural details, the tapestries contain a social history of Essex and modern Britain that everyone can relate to.
The tapestries are shown alongside a specially commissioned audio recording of The Ballad of Julie Cope, a 3,000 word narrative written and read by Perry himself that illuminates Julie’s hopes and fears as she journeys through life.
The exhibition will run from March 18th to August 14th 2022
