Photo Series & Performative Documentation, March 2019
Brexit: A Photo Series Performing Tabloid Britain Through a Handmade Tracksuit
In March 2019, I commissioned a custom tracksuit and matching bag from a local seamstress, built from a pattern that distorts the Union Jack into something closer to counterfeit designer fabric and the woven plastic of a cheap “refugee bag”. Wearing it in public over a single day, I photographed the result as a piece of performative documentation, satire rather than protest, made from a position of clear opposition to Brexit.
The Idea
This series was developed in response to the Brexit referendum and the cultural atmosphere that followed it. The work began from a clear position, disagreement with Brexit, and a wish to remain within Europe, but the approach was satire rather than direct protest.
Rather than make an argument, I wanted to build a costume: something that could carry the visual language of a political moment on a single body, in public, without a placard or a slogan doing the explaining.
The Garment
I designed a patterned fabric and commissioned a custom tracksuit and matching bag from a local seamstress. The pattern distorts the Union Jack into something between two other references at once: the look of counterfeit designer fabric, and the woven plastic pattern used on cheap “refugee bags”, the kind sold in markets and used to carry belongings across borders.
Put those two references inside a national flag and the costume starts arguing with itself: a garment that reads as patriotic at a glance is actually built from the visual language of the people a lot of Brexit-era rhetoric was aimed against.
The Performance
The outfit was worn in public over a single day and photographed as it happened, parked cars, wheelie bins, a chip shop dinner, a newsagent under a Sun masthead, rather than staged against a plain backdrop.
As part of the process, I deliberately immersed myself in tabloid culture, reading The Sun, a prominent supporter of Brexit, to get closer to the visual and narrative language surrounding the campaign before stepping in front of the camera.
Reading the Work
Rather than presenting an argument, the work focuses on costume, behaviour and everyday symbolism, using humour and exaggeration to reflect on how political identity gets performed and consumed.
In hindsight, the images sit as a record of a specific moment, one that’s since been widely reassessed as the economic and social consequences of Brexit have unfolded. It’s presented here as part of an ongoing archive of practice, not a definitive statement.
Commission a Similar Project
If you’re interested in work that uses costume, performance or everyday material to respond to a cultural or political moment, this is the kind of project I take on.
Get in touch about a project like this →
Questions
What is the Brexit photo series?
Brexit is a photo series and piece of performative documentation made by Mark Jermyn in March 2019, built around a custom tracksuit worn and photographed in public over a single day.
What is the tracksuit pattern based on?
The pattern distorts the Union Jack, blending it with the look of counterfeit designer fabric and the woven plastic pattern found on cheap “refugee bags”.
Was the bag part of the same piece?
Yes. The matching bag was made from the same fabric as the tracksuit and designed as part of the same piece, not as an incidental prop.
Why satire rather than direct protest?
The work was approached through costume, behaviour and everyday symbolism rather than argument, using humour and exaggeration to reflect on how political identity is performed and consumed.
Has the series been shown publicly?
It has been shared online rather than exhibited, and is presented here as part of an ongoing archive of practice rather than a definitive statement.
Can Mark create a similar performative or documentary project?
Yes, work that uses costume, performance or everyday material to respond to a cultural or political moment is exactly the kind of project he continues to take on.
From the Journal
The Series, Made and Shot
Dated entries behind the Brexit series, from making the tracksuit to the finished photographs.
Selected Work