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It does not take deep art analysis to read the portrait Grayson Perry has made of Chris Huhne: it is a vase with repeated motifs of the politician’s face, his personalised number plate and a penis.
“He represents what I call Default Man,” said Perry. “A white, middle-class, middle-aged, heterosexual man, an identity group that hides in plain sight.”
The Chris Huhne vase, revealed here for the first time, will go on show at the National Portrait Gallery as part of a display to tie in with a Channel 4 series in which the artist explores contemporary British identity through the creation of portraits.
Huhne fell from grace in dramatic style last year when his wife, Vicky Pryce, revealed that he had asked her to take the blame for his speeding offence and the speeding points incurred. He resigned from the cabinet and was subsequently jailed for perverting the course of justice.
Perry interviewed Huhne the night before he went to jail. In a Guardian interview with Simon Hattenstone this month the artist said: “He was there as a powerful white male who potentially was going to lose some of that power. I was interested in what effect prison and that condemnation would have on his confidence and identity.”
Perry then interviewed Huhne on the morning of his release. Had he changed, asked Hattenstone? “Of course he hasn’t changed. There’s not a flicker. I was fascinated and appalled. I’m white, male, middle-aged myself, and if there’s one aspect I feel alienated by, it’s the class thing. So to see someone with that chutzpah and bullet-proof, Teflon, confidence close up is fascinating. And sort of horrifying.
“At one point, he bragged and said something like, ‘I must be the only politician who comes out of prison without changing’.”
All that has contributed to the finished vase which was purposefully smashed by Perry and then repaired using an ancient Chinese technique which involves lacquer resin dusted or mixed with gold.
The Huhne vase has been decorated with the motifs of Huhne’s face, his H11HNE number plate and a penis.
Perry said: “This is a riposte to the common Default Man’s defence that he is an ‘individual’ and his achievements and behaviour have nothing to do with group identity. I have smashed the pot and had it repaired with gold to symbolise that vulnerability might be an asset in relationships to such a person.”
Other portraits include one of Northern Irish loyalist marchers, one entitled the Ashford Hijab, showing Kayleigh Khosravi, a white woman who converted to Islam, and one of the X Factor contestant Rylan Clark.
• Grayson Perry: Who Are You? Channel 4 series from 22 October. Perry display at NPG from 25 October.
