Copying a graffito from a Surrey tombstone, he repeats the scrawl with subtle variations and, in so doing, declares his artistic autonomy.
That this raises complex aesthetic questions on the nature of art suggests that there is more to Parsons than we might expect from the current crop of British neo-conceptualists. Take a closer look and you will discover that this is no ordinary Union flag. It is not faded at all – but sewn together from carefully graded pieces of brown and white polyester. For all his neo-conceptual knowingness, he is essentially compassionate. Perhaps this is because – as a sufferer from ankylosing spondylitis – he is aware of the frailty of the human condition Perhaps not.

It is impossible, however, to ignore the unpretentious wit and wisdom that permeate such works as “Cuttlefish” – a large, faded Union Jack. Like all of Parsons’s work, this piece operates on diverse levels. A flag, hung on a pole in an interior, might seem a metaphor for meaningless; a sad, futile declaration of pride and allegiance. We dismiss the table top as “disfigured”, “imperfect” – yet, while in its pristine state it might demonstrate taste, burned and scarred it evinces the imperfection of mankind. It is also, incidentally, a not displeasing abstract image, reminiscent of Robert Ryman at his most expressive It is this sentiment that makes Parsons unique. Like Wentworth, he takes the everyday and, in his studio, transforms it into art.

He does not, though, share the older artist’s obsession with chance and natural ingenuity, but is more concerned with man’s often unconscious ability to imbue the apparently commonplace with a personal significance. For Parsons, every tiny element of the observed world possesses the power of a narrative painting. Thus, he takes a fibreglass table top, disfigured with cigarette burns and celebrates it as a record of humanity. The fact that most of us would be unaware of this potential is implicit in his approach. His concern is to make sense of the world about us – not least the world of signs and symbols – signifiers of human activity and intervention.

“Road signs” he says, “are aesthetically perfect” – and what better way to celebrate them than by remaking these modern-day icons as sofa cushions Such decontextualisation is central to Parsons’s art. The whole work was played with polished musicianship, if not quite enough manic abandon, and it was evidently hugely enjoyed by a very respectable Cheltenham audience.The Cheltenham Festival continues to 21 July Booking: 01242 227979STEPHEN WALSH. Parsons, as one might expect from a graduate of Goldsmiths, sits happily in the tradition of Richard Wentworth, Julian Opie and Michael Craig-Martin. Appearances can be deceptive. Jonathan Parsons knows this and he wants us to share in his vision.