Essex and Essexuality

Told you my work is art... My book The Joy of Essex is on display in a vitrine (that's a posh word for a cabinet) in Michael Landy's Welcome To Essex exhibition at Colchester's Firstsite gallery. Also my 1991 piece from the Guardian on the Essex argot.

It's a great show about the county's cultural baggage and media stereotypes, including a giant figure of Essex Man as you enter, tabloid headlines printed on tarpaulins and 1990s TVs on wheelie-bins playing clips of Essex luminaries. The Ilford-born Landy sees himself as a mirror to all the images projected on to Essex — and he's clearly had a lot of fun making this exhibition. Proper art. Runs until Sept 5.