The Life Of Julie Cope

Internationally-acclaimed and Chelmsford-born artist Grayson Perry celebrated the life and culture of his home county in the creation of A House for Essex in 2015. Now a new exhibition at Firstsite in Colchester takes a fresh look at Grayson’s representation of his home county

TURNER PRIZE-WINNING artist Grayson Perry is proud of his home county of Essex. Until February, Grayson has brought a new exhibition to Firstsite in Colchester, devoted to the memory of Julie Cope, a fictional Essex woman. It is fitting that Chelmsford born Grayson is showing The Life of Julie Cope in Essex, as the artworks in the show reflect the wonderfully rich, everyday lives of this county. Grayson is best known for his ceramic art as well as textiles that often explore subjects around class, gender and taste. In this exhibition there are large tapestries and objects that usually reside in A House for Essex (2015), both an artwork in itself and the setting for a number of works by Grayson exploring the special character and unique qualities of Essex.

A House for Essex was built as a pilgrimage chapel dedicated to a fictional secular saint, Julie Cope, but also serves as the artist’s tribute to the people of Essex with whom he grew up. The property was created through a creative collaboration between Grayson and Charles Holland from the architecture practice FAT, both of whom were born and bred in Essex. Sitting at the end of a road on the Stour Estuary near Wrabness, A House for Essex is a home to sculptures, tapestries, a library and other artworks in honour of Julie Cope. The chapel-like building highlights the richness of Essex culture and gives it a platform for those who are not familiar with it to come and immerse themselves in the life of Julie Cope.