Young British Artists and the world - Essay Example

YBA and the World Most art forms seem to go through phases and cycles of inspiration. Sometimes, it seems that the well of inspiration is particularly dry; during other times, like the wave of rising popularity for young British artists, particularly during the early and mid 1990's, the inspiration seems to be flowing freely, and the glass is most certainly half full. Not only has contemporary British art become more popular here at home, but also abroad. This has implications not only for the artists themselves, but also for the scope of mainstream contemporary art as a whole. Additionally, the whole of British culture is affected by this latest wave of young inspiration, as well as the world's view of Great Britain and British culture. The YBA Movement and Commercialization In the late 1980's, British art entered a new exciting chapter-a new wave of inspiration was borne of apathy and confusion, and the hearts and minds of a new generation and breed of artists-those who would soon become known as the YBA's, or Young British Artists. The generation known as Young British Artists (YBAs) were born between the mid-1960s and 1970s, and emerged from the art schools in the late 1980s. In these educational establishments major changes were taking place. They registered a reaction to the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who claimed that there was 'no such thing as society'. It was in this context that both teachers and students came together to consider contemporary life and culture head-on, (Nelson 2000) The beginning of this movement is most often attributed to a 1988 exhibit in London, entitled Freeze, and organized by Damien Hirst, while he was still an art student at Goldsmiths College. He would go on to become the most widely celebrated of the YBA's, but was accompanied by such artists as Tracey Emin, Cornelia Parker, Christine Borland, and Sarah Lucas, to name a few, (Tate Online Glossary) The notion of the young celebrity artist seems to be a fairly new one, with an uncanny cult-like following. The work of artists such as Tracey Emin, Damian Hirst, the Chapman brothers, and Grayson Perry had all but taken on a life of it's own in the 1990's. It can be argued that the art was essentially representative of the culture at the time, emerging simultaneously with the 'grunge' movement in music and lifestyle. Certainly it is no coincidence that the YBA movement seemed to begin at the same time that the grunge rock band Nirvana appeared on the global scene, emerging from Seattle in the United States, and making a trend of stoner nonchalance, torn jeans and flannel shirts, the epitome of 'cool'. It is not that the global grunge movement was a direct result of the artistic YBA movement in London, nor vice versa. Rather, the world seem filled at the time with a feeling of apathy for life; there were no major wars to be fought, and nothing to be won, just an ubiquitous haze of melancholy that seemed to infiltrate everything in its path. These angry youth burst onto the cultural landscape all over, forming a sort of cultural revolution, and then "screaming how fucked-up it and everything around it was," (Bracewell 2002). To be certain, "the label YBA turned out to be a powerful brand and marketing tool, but of course it concealed huge diversity. Nevertheless certain broad trends both formal and thematic can be discerned. Formally, the era is marked by a complete openness towards the materials and processes with which art can be made and the form that it can take," (Tate Online Glossary). In theory and in practice, the YBA was essentially raging aganst life in general. The YBA movement, like the grunge rock movement in the United States, began as a socialist, anti-corporate, anti-establishment movement, rallying against invisible oppression, and finding common ground in the assertion and expression of the artist's idea of self. For them, depression, alcoholism, and poverty were a reality to be shared with the world at large. Tracey Emin, who is described as "one of the most prominent members of the generation of artists that emerged in London in the early 1990s," found common ties between "experience and artist production" in her work, which had been hailed as, "unashamedly honest and designed to promote debate about basic human needs," (Tate Online, 2000). Certainly, the work produced during this period in time was an extremely personal exploration for the artists that were creating it. These artists were for the most part, self-proclaimed anti-establishmentarian, and as such might have been taken aback by the inevitable commercialization of their work. The result was a veritable 'subculture' transformation into 'pop culture', and that which rallied against the oppression of the establishment, now became an integral part of it. The YBA movement was thought by outsiders to have been establishing new ideas of 'Britishness' in a postmodern world, but not everyone was thrilled with these new ideas. At the time Mercer argued that the movement was, at least in part, a reaction to the attempt to globalize the British art world. "At this stage it is precisely the discrepancy between parochial YBA inwardness and the art world internationalism that obliges us to interrogate the ideology of New British Art as a defensive, and, above all, regressive response to the bewildering effects of globalization" (Mercer 2000). Just as the grunge movement in the United States consisted of a predominantly white, majority, so did the YBA movement in London, producing an exclusionary 'us' and 'them' mentality among the ethnic minorities on the British arts scene. Such exclusions, and the eventual commercialization of the movement have prompted such critics as Mulholland to label their seemingly sincere, expressive work as "faux authenticity," (2004) and looking for a newer wave of young artists to celebrate. Pecoil argues that "In the course of the markets' progressive saturation - and hence in view of the fact that the main problem has become how to sell goods rather than how to produce them-those anti-establishment values articulated by artists in their attempted critique of capitalism have themselves gradually become commercialised when faced by the profit motive," (2002). This was the inevitable dilemma facing the artists of the YBA movement. The life of the "starving artist" is romanticized an fun in one's youth, but eventually the realities of life get in the way of those nave ideals. To be fair, the artists of that generation were not extrinsically motivated by the magic powers of money and all that it had to offer, but this certainly became a nice recompense for the suffering that inspired their art. This leads of course to a sort of ambivalent commodification and misrepresentation of their work, and can be used to explain this attitude of 'faux-authenticity' that critics have asserted towards the movement. The Implications and Importance of Youth Whether it be art, or music or cinema, waves of fresh young talent in the genre have a direct result; that is, renewed interest in the art form. The public seems to require a bit of fresh blood every now and them, as the 'old white blokes' become a bit too old (and a bit too white) to sustain public interest. This is what the YBA did for contemporary visual art, not only in London, but abroad. This sparked interest in the British art scene, as well as renewed interest in Britain in general, truly establishing renewed ideas of 'Britishness' in the global community. In a report upon international perceptions of Great Britain, Richardson reports that a survey was conducted to find how others view British culture it concluded that, "young people are critical of Britain's social relationships and do not regard us as especially creative or innovative," and that they "have an ambivalent view of Britain. On the whole they see it as fair, caring and democratic, but also as divided by class and, in the eyes of some, racially intolerant." On the whole, "the UK's reputation in the arts is seen to lie more in past than in present achievements," (Richardson 2002). By infusing British culture with youthful, diverse talent, Britain is able to change these perceptions, ultimately altering the view that the British have of themselves, as well as the perception that the global community have of the British. This was not the goal of the YBA; in actuality, the YBA probably had no coherent or universal goals. However, this was certainly one aspect of the result, and new, cooler, hipper notions of Britain have been formed as a result, both at home as well as abroad. Furthermore, this has led to more of a sense of globalization in the art world. The globalization of art remains a fairly new phenomenon, taking a life of its own in the information age. Some would argue that the globalization of art will lead to the eventual homogenization of culture, and thus the end of real diversity in art. This may be the case, but for better or for worse, it seems that the art world is leaning towards more of a global culture, and that the emergence of young celebrity artists such as those of the YBA movement are pushing art mor quickly in that direction. The truth is that despite the means, the arts benefit greatly from technological advances which not only promote the dissemination and preservation of art, but also inspire innovation by creating new possibilities in tools and techniques of art's creation. This is ultimately good for Britain and it's people as well; for a country where the art and artists have always, as Gottlib might argue, seemed a little behind the times, the emergence of the young celebrity artists and a greater sense of diversity are a much-needed shot in the arm. British art always appeared to be a little behind in terms of the language of modern art. London was never considered an influential centre for the visual arts. In the last decade, however, it has become clear that the London art world has changed beyond recognition. The new generation of British artists seem to have left a far more indelible mark than their predecessors did. World attention and the receptiveness of international audiences have been fuelled, inter alia, by the incredible cultural diversity of British youth, (Gottlib 2001). This is of course important to the growth and preservation of British thought as a whole. While most of the artists involved with the YBA would vehemently argue that their art was not political, but poetic, and certainly not meant to be used as a sort of social propaganda for use in the push towards globalization in art, the sheer status of their celebrity worked in counter to that. In effect, this generation of artists has made the world more aware of Britain and British people. Some of the Artists Involved The artists who fueled this sort of cultural revolution in London through the 90's are certainly not typical revolutionaries, but artists, with a love for what they do. Jake and Dinos Chapman, of the collaborative team, the Chapman Brothers, were already in their thirties during the height of the movement, but their work truly has the spirit of youth, and thus had the spirit of the YBA movement. The brothers would argue that their goal is establish absolutely no cultural value, but their work-genetically and genitally modified child mannequins, fiberglass dummies fused together and given penises and anuses in place of noses and mouths, are certainly able to cause the audience to question the realities of their own bodies. Damien Hirst was certainly the most well known, and notorious of the YBA movement. "Hirst enthusiasts say his work is bold and ground-breaking, that it sets the standard for contemporary art in the early part of the 21st century. But his numerous detractors, including respected figures in the art world as well as the tabloid press, argue that there is little more to Hirst's work than hype. (Nelson 2000). For better or for worse, it seems that Hirst made quite an impact. Tracey Emin first emerged into celebrity with the exhibition of her tent, which was entitled: "Everyone I have ever Slept with, 1963-95", and carried on it the names of everyone that the artist had ever slept with, as well as the names of two aborted fetuses. She came to fame most prominently however, with her "My Bed" installation in 1999, which was nominated for the coveted Turner Prize. The exhibit was exactly as the name professed, a display of the artist's bed, complete with dirty knickers, used condoms, and bottles of vodka. It was truly a memorable work, confusing individuals, but delighting the media, who enjoyed the tabloid-like exploitation of such a work. Grayson Perry, the winner of the 2003 Turner Prize, is a artist who has actually been in the London arts scene for quite a while. He primarily designs pots, which are meant to enrage and inspire. They are comically serious, and always sincere, with important messages on every one. He is also a transvestite, who has named the feminine version of himself "Claire". All of these artists are certainly subversive in nature, looking to overturn traditional notions about art in all its forms, and in the process altering traditional Ideas about Great Britain as a whole. Future Implications Upon Art Like anything that has earned the right to be referred to as a "revolutionary" idea, the YBA movement has lasting effects which can still be seen in art and in British society. "With the YBAs, London became a centre of the international art world in the 1990s. It also became a source of export to the New York art scene and a magnet for New York gallery owners," (Nelson 2000). This was a cultural status that neither London, nor Great Britain had experienced in quite some time. This had not only cultural impact, but a certain economic impact for London, providing, by way of the celebrity of the artists, a sense of notoriety for the city, as well as revenue. Furthermore, the YBA movement changed the art world for those British artists who came after them. As Mullholland argues, the relational aesthetics were able to use,anipulate, and essentially piggYBAck upon the celebrity of the YBA's in order to further their own causes in the late nineties and early part of this century, Despite the fact that it is largely a cultural moment that belongs to the 1990s, in the early years of this century relational aesthetics have caused a belated stir in certain sectors of British art, notably in London. There, a wave of parochial pride and cultural insularity encouraged by the public relations triumph of YBA prevented such networks becoming more visible until the end of the 1990s (Mulholland 2004). Certainly, the YBA's were able to open doors for artists who followed after them that may have otherwise not had the same opportunities, due to the power and pull of sheer finances. The celebrity of the YBA's made the world notice that British art had substance and value, and thus look upon newer projects with favor. It is in not only the work, but in the marketability of youth that the YBA's fund celebrity and notoriety on the global arts scene. This is why it is important that the art world continue to be infused with new, young, fresh faces and imaginations, in order to renew interest in contemporary visual art, thus sustaining and preserving it for future generations. All the while, having a bit of creativity in Britain's corner can certainly do the nation a good turn. Works Cited Bracewell, Michael 2002, 'The Barbarism of the Self-Reflecting Sign', The Nineties: When Surface was Depth, Flamingo, London. Gottlib, Nechema 2001, 'A Decade of Metamorphosis in British Art', No World Without You. Herzliya Museum of Art, Tel Aviv. Mercer, Kobena 2000, 'Ethnicity and Internationality: New British Art and Diaspora-Based Blackness', Third Text. Mulholland, Neil 2004 'Awkward Relations', Tate Online. Available at: http://www.tate.org.uk/research/tateresearch/tatepapers/04autumn/mulholland.htm Nelson, Jo (2000), 'Art attack: How the YBA's changed the face of art today', Channel14. Available at: http://www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/H/hirst/attack.html Pecoil, Vincent 2002, 'Brand Art,' Art Monthly 265. 1-6. Richardson, Robin 2002, 'Representing Diversity'. The British Council, Available at: http://www.britishcouncil.org/diversity/download/mso186_.doc 'Tate Britain unveils new Tracey Emin acquisitions' 2000, Press Release, Tate Online. Read More