A TEIGNMOUTH artist has a work exhibited in the Royal West of England Academy in Bristol

Anna Grayson works in a variety of artistic mediums, but has become best known for her re-imaginings of famous works of art. ‘It started as a practical way of studying composition and lighting in Art History,’ she said. ‘I soon found that other people liked the idea of their favourite old master worked into a contemporary piece, and so I carried on making them. It has been far, far more successful than I could have imagined in a million years.”’

Anna has had several pictures hung in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibitions in London, and her work was featured in the very first edition of Grayson Perry’s Art Club on Channel 4. Her work hangs in private collections around the world and was the subject of an exhibition in the Royal Albert Memorial Museum last year.

The current picture hanging in the Royal West of England Academy in Bristol is a re-making of Sir David Hockney’s iconic painting Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy which was acquired by Tate Britain in 1972 when Anna was a teenager. ‘It was the epitome of cool to my generation, depicting Ossie Clark and his then wife Celia Birtwell, looking so laid back and confident.’ 

Anna is married to fellow artist Des Maxwell Clark, so their names are genuinely Dr and Mrs Clark. Their cat is a mature fat tabby. ‘The three of us look a lot older and wiser than the original models, and interestingly our marriage has lasted the duration, 46 years so far.’

The picture was shot in Anna and Des’s own bedroom in Teignmouth and with flowers from Morrisons setting the scene. ‘It was a tight set and the lighting tricky. Des managed the cat while I set the lighting and pressed the shutter, which was on a delay giving me time to dash to my position.

‘I am very much hoping that the renovation of TAAG will be successful so that I could show my photographic tour through Art History, here in my home town. With well over 200 artists in the town, we urgently need a proper arts centre. A giant turquoise pub with an entertainments hall simply doesn’t cut the mustard for the visual arts.’