1990s British Art at the Intersection of Feminism and the AIDS Crisis: From the Practices of Tracey Emin, Sarah Lucas, Gilbert & George, etc. (By Yuki Ito)
This article re-examines 1990s British art through the intersection of feminism and the AIDS crisis, focusing on the practices of artists both inside and outside the YBA.Summary
Coinciding with the exhibition "YBA & BEYOND: 90s British Art That Changed the World," this essay by Yuki Ito critically re-examines 1990s British art from contemporary perspectives, specifically through the lens of "the politics of the body" rooted in feminist and queer theory. The author argues that the canonization of YBA (Young British Artists), often centered around figures like Damien Hirst, marginalized other significant practices, such as those by artists with complex identities like Hamad Butt, or Black feminist artists like Lubaina Himid and Sonia Boyce. Instead of merely adding marginalized artists, the essay seeks to challenge the central narrative by connecting feminist practices emerging from the YBA (Tracey Emin, Sarah Lucas, Gillian Wearing) with responses to the AIDS crisis situated outside the canon (Derek Jarman, Gilbert & George), using "body-related expression" as a common axis to reveal a more complex and nuanced understanding of British art from the 1980s and 90s.
(Source：Tokyo Art Beat)