All that glitters...

by Panruetai Chitrakorn

Art and politics do not often go hand in hand, but Central St Martins graduate Steven Barratt has created glamourous images of the three biggest names in politics at the moment.

He has immortolised Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg in glitter, and has even included a portrait of BNP leader Nick Griffin.

The politicians are in good company, joining Barratt’s army of portraits, which include Madonna, Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Wonder Woman and Elvis.

Playing with the notion of pop art Andy Warhol-style, Barratt typically uses iconic images and influences from popular culture and depicts them in glitter.

Kitsch quality

His medium has often been considered a complement to the portrait’s subject, though it provides a sly counterpoint: the kitsch quality of glitter relates to the idea of false glamour and pretentious lifestyles that would not fit everyone.

Describing his work as “trash with a hint of sophistication,” Barratt is a huge fan of popular and mass culture, and credits his influences to anything ‘over the top’, such as carnivals, Christmas, fairgrounds, nightclubs, popular musicals, TV and film, and the ‘80s.

Online art gallery Newbloodart has taken Barratt’s political portraits one step further, putting them in a democratic battle for their popularity.

Like an election, the public can ‘vote’ by bidding on the portrait of a chosen leader, and at the end of the auction, the works will be sold to the highest bidder.

At present, the portraits are not as widely circulated as Shepard Fairey’s iconic poster of Barack Obama (which proved to be a vital part of the 2008 presidential campaign) and its effect on the election remains unknown. But with its aesthetic values and cunning humour, the portraits do make quite a statement.