Grayson Perry reveals his Brexit pots ahead of new documentary

30 May 2017

**Further images including close-ups are available on request**

Brexit and the battle between Leave and Remain is the inspiration behind Grayson Perry’s latest work, revealed today by the artist.

The two monumental pots – one for the Leavers and one for the Remainers – are presented as one work called Matching Pair. They were created following an appeal by Perry through social media, when he invited the public to contribute ideas, images, phrases and photographs to represent the things people loved about Britain, their favourite brands, who represented their values and their thoughts about Brexit. The pots will go on display to the public at London’s Serpentine Gallery from 8 June.

Grayson Perry commented: “I thought it would be an interesting experiment to make a work that involved, to use the fashionable term, crowdsourcing via social media. The two pots have come out looking remarkably similar, which is a good result, for we all have much more in common than that which separates us”.

Commonalities representing Britishness and British values are found on both pots, including:  bacon and eggs, the local pub, walking the dog, family, David Bowie and Marmite.

Matching Pair prominently features portraits of the people who responded to Perry’s appeal to contribute. Additionally the Remain pot includes the late MP Jo Cox, the campaigner Gina Miller, Gary Lineker, Barack Obama, Gandhi, Shakespeare and logos for Waitrose and the NHS.  Unsurprisingly Nigel Farage appears on the Leave pot alongside Winston Churchill, the Queen, Francis Drake and Cadbury’s.

The pots are revealed ahead of his latest Channel 4 programme Grayson Perry: Divided Britain which airs tonight (Tuesday 30 May at 9pm on Channel 4).

Matching Pair will be displayed, along with 24 other new works, in Grayson’s major new show, The Most Popular Art Exhibition Ever! at Serpentine Gallery, which addresses themes of sex, class, religion, masculinity and the British cultural landscape a year after the EU referendum. Running from 8 June to 10 September during the Serpentine's busiest summer season, The Most Popular Art Exhibition Ever! will tackle one of Grayson's central concerns: how contemporary art can best address the most diverse cross section of society.