Election Artist Joanne Coates travels 7,165 miles over 37 days, capturing the 2024 UK General Election
Joanne Coates, the House of Commons’ official Election Artist 2024, has successfully completed the first stage of her work to produce a piece of artwork to mark the General Election, meeting 66 candidates from across the political spectrum, from all four corners of the United Kingdom and traveling over 7,165 miles - the equivalent of Land’s End to John O’Groats nearly 12 times.
Over 37 days closely shadowing the campaign trail, Coates met with thousands of members of the public from all walks of life, in 38 locations from the islands of Orkney in Scotland to Ynys Môn in Wales, and from Clacton-on-Sea in Essex to Drumaness in County Down, walking 541,881 steps.
Joanne Coates, 2024 Election Artist, said:
“I’m committed to ensuring that the people – the length and breadth of our isles – are represented in this work, so I’m incredibly grateful for everyone taking the time to speak with me.
“There were many surreal but also beautiful, intense, and interesting moments - attending a bilingual church service on Anglesey, a trip around a fish transport factory, meeting with politicians and political rallies, but my all-time favourite moments were canvassing and the in between moments, those away from the big events where you saw something a little more real.
“I’m still considering what the final work might look like, I work with different elements that come together to tell complex stories, and this is a complex story. I will be focusing on portraiture, people and places through photography and installation, key details of place and hints of election paraphernalia. I’m excited to share the result with the public in due course.”
Meeting hundreds of first-time voters and hearing what they thought, speaking with two brothers with very different political viewpoints at the foot of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), seeing three Red Kite birds of prey over Henley-on-Thames, viewing two political ‘battle buses’, petting 48 dogs, and nearly missing the ferry on Shetland, were some of the many highs and lows of following the intense campaign trail.
Coates will produce a unique work of art in response to her experience of the campaign, which will then be submitted to the new Speaker’s Advisory Committee on Works of Art for approval - once the committee has been re-established. The artwork will be revealed to the public in due course.
Since 2001, the Speaker's Advisory Committee on Works of Art has commissioned an artist to follow and document each General Election, creating a unique permanent artwork for Parliament.
Elections have been the subject of paintings and engravings since the 18th century and recording each General Election has become an important part of the Committee's acquisition strategy. The artworks record the process, outcome, and main themes of each General Election, ensuring both political and geographic balance.