Famous sculptor joins Britain's election trail

An army of photographers and camera crews will zoom in on politicians from every party during Britain's general election campaign ahead of voting on June 8.

Their ranks will be joined by celebrated sculptor and artist Cornelia Parker who was Monday named as Britain's official Election Artist for the 2017 General Election.

Selected by the a special Works of Art committee at the Houses of Parliament, London-based Parker, will observe the 2017 General Election and produce a unique work of art in response to her experience of the campaign. Her final artwork will join the Parliamentary Art Collection later in 2017.

Cornelia Parker is a prominent British artist represented in many international public collections, with her work displayed in galleries across the world including in London's Tate Modern, the British Library and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Once nominated for the famous Turner art prize, Parker was elected a Royal Academician in 2009.

A spokesman for the Houses of Parliament said: "She has longstanding interest in political subjects and is well placed to create a work of art to reflect upon the General Election of 2017."

Her recent projects have included embroidery, "Magna Carta" celebrating the document's 800th anniversary, as well as a commentary on freedoms from a 21st century perspective, the work, which toured round Britain.

Alison McGovern MP, who chairs the Advisory Committee on Works of Art, said: "Cornelia Parker is the first woman artist to take on this role and it'll be really exciting to see how her ideas for this artwork develop over the campaign period."

This year's election will be the fifth to be recorded by an official election artist.

Commenting on being commissioned as official artist, Parker said she felt honored, adding: "We live in scary but exhilarating times. The whole world order seems to be changing. With all its challenging issues and complexity, the election is an event that I'm excited to engage with and I look forward to sharing my finished work."

Parker is best known for her conceptual art, sculptures and as an installation artist.

Meanwhile a painting from a British election scene in 1796 was Monday named as Parliament's painting of the month for May.

The artwork depicts a traditional election hustings in London's Covent Garden in 1796. Today the term hustings is used to describe meetings where election candidates debate policies and answer questions from the public. In the 1800s, hustings was the name given to the temporary platform from where aspiring MPs would address voters in the hope of being nominated to stand in an election.

Robert Dighton's painting of the 1796 election in Westminster shows the hustings erected in front of St Paul's Church, Covent Garden. Endit