The best of Young British Artists

7 articles

The name Young British Artists (also known as Britart, Brit artists, or YBAs for short) denotes a loose faction of British visual artists who started exhibiting as a group in the late 1980s. The group came to be known for its flexibility and openness to throwaway materials, shock tactics, novel processes, and entrepreneurial-cum-oppositional attitude.

Some of the most notable artists in the group include Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, Sarah Lucas and Rachel Whiteread.

The coinage of the label emerged in 1988 during the Freeze exhibition organized by Damien Hirst, alongside fellow fine art students who became famous artists linked to the Young British Artists, including Michael Landy, Angus Fairhurst, and Sarah Lucas. Most YBA artists attended the Goldsmiths College of Art, while others schooled at the Royal College of Art.

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Rachel Whiteread’s 14,000 white cubes at Tate – Embankment

Installations / 3 minutes of reading
Rachel Whiteread’s installation Embankment stands out for many reasons. First, it’s the embodiment of several ideas. One who looks at it casually would conclude that it represents an obsession with boxes. Other than that, the combination of arctic icebergs, pristine crystal-clear massive causeway, and sugar-lump village all give it a distinct look that’s almost impossible […]

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Why was Tracey Emin’s bed a shock to the audience?

Installations / 4 minutes of reading
Tracey Emin’s work has always been shrouded in revelation and discovery, where she uses her real-life events as the inspiration for her works. So far, her art has become varied to include video installations, paintings, drawings, neon sculptures, photography, and even needlework. Emin’s work is characterized by an imminence and frequently sexually challenging boldness that

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Why did Rachel Whiteread’s House earn her the title Worst Artist?

Architecture, Sculptures / 4 minutes of reading
Documentary: Rachel Whiteread, House (1993)Watch this video on YouTube 26 min How Rachel Whiteread became famous Is it possible to illustrate memory or lack of it? This is exactly what the sculptures made by Rachel Whiteread strive to achieve. She was born in London in 1963, where she lives and earns a living as an

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Damien Hirst’s Spot Paintings – Trivial or inspiring? You decide

Paintings / 12 minutes of reading
Damien Hirst in Matt Black's "Reflections" seriesWatch this video on YouTube 4 min 37 sec Damien Hirst is one of the most successful and controversial artists and has been dominating the British art scene since the 1990s. Though he became famous through a series of artworks centered on the death motif, the Spot Paintings have

Damien Hirst’s Spot Paintings – Trivial or inspiring? You decide Read More

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