Art and photography have played a key role in capturing and reflecting on the conditions for the Brexit referendum. Illustrated by a range of work by artists including Cornelia Parker, Wolfgang Tillmans, David Shrigley, Tacita Dean and Jeremy Deller as well as the satirists Cold War Steve and Led By Donkeys, who offer fascinating insights into their work, along with ephemera such as campaign posters and leaflets, and more personal photographs which capture the searing impact of the vote on both UK and EU citizens, this impassioned and compelling book explores the role of the photograph and sometimes moving image in the ongoing consequences of what the author views as a political cataclysm.This book is a work of personal protest. This book is in part a manifesto, a call for a return to working relations and trade with our closest neighbours, and a survey of some of the artistic statements of protest and resistance around the Leave and Remain campaigns. As Brexit stalls, these interviews and these works of art and protest constitute an archive of resistance.
From Jeremy Deller’s film of musicians protesting outside the House of Commons to portraits of those whose lives have been changed immeasurably, this art of protest brings together disparate aspects of the bitterly fought battle to remain and the consequences of the decision to leave the EU on 1 January 2021 and serves as a reminder of this political and social schism.
In doing so, the book offers insight into our society, exploring issues of national identity, migration, colonialism/decolonialism, racism, the flag, austerity, the border in Northern Ireland, Scotland and how artists can intervene in political debate. It offers an original, visually stimulating and attractive examination of this still topical subject, revealing how art and photography can capture and memorialise key moments in our history.
Thank you to all who contributed to my book on the cultural repercussions of Brexit. We spoke about Brexit and the art of protest - let’s just say that neither the artists nor myself hold back. And a special thank you to all at Lund Humphries.
Leave to Remain, A Snapshot of Brexit released on 7th September 2023
Available to pre-order at https://www.lundhumphries.com/products/leave-to-remain
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