Patrons of the arts are a diverse lot. From Elton John to Ed Sheeran, those who chose to support the art world span generations and genres; however, some are more surprising than others.
It has been revealed that Chancellor of the Exchequer is one such patron of modern art, and a particular fan of the Penguin parody artist, Harland Miller. Rishi Sunak’s particular patronage comes at no better time, with one of the pieces he owns – Who Cares Wins – recently reissued in a 250-print run sold for charity amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Miller is not the only artists to lend a hand amid the pandemic. Turner winning artist Jeremy Deller has released a limited run of 1,500 posters sold for £25 a piece which read “Thank God for Immigrants”. The proceeds of the posters will go towards Refugee Action and Trussell Trust to support food banks across the country.
When asked what inspired his latest work, Deller replied: “It’s probably to do with seeing the photographs of the doctors and nurses who have died in the last week, all of whom, I imagine, if not immigrants themselves, have come from immigrant backgrounds.
“These are also the people left on the streets who are doing the jobs that nobody else is doing: making deliveries and stacking the supermarket shelves.”
Artists have also used the pandemic as an opportunity to raise morale, with Michael Craig-Martin, the forefather of the YBAs, producing a sign that can be printed freely, which reads: “THANK YOU NHS.”
From Gilbert and George, to Hockney and Hirst, artists across the nation have come together to lend a hand.
