Young British Artists (YBA) was a term used for young artists in Britain who emerged in 1988 with a newfound openness to all kinds of materials and processes as well as an entrepreneurial attitude. They appeared at a time where Britain had been pointed out to be lacking an art culture with meaning and vibrancy in comparison to the postmodern movements taking place in America and Germany – this fact caused the group to react with vigour and take on the challenge to place a spotlight on Britain’s art scene.
Artworks from these artists varied as the defining factor of this group was their willingness to try new and different things that were often perceived as shocking. They utilised film, video, photography, drawing, printmaking and have done many unusually things such as build sculptures from food, crushed objects they’ve found with a steamroller and even preserved dead animals to then display them.
I find that these artists’ confidence to touch the untouched and do the unthinkable is admirable in a way that can empower other young people no matter the generation as they were able to provoke and reel audiences in. At this time, they managed to play an important part in revolutionising the future of postmodernist art through sheer hard work and willingness.
However, I find that the exhibitions of the preserved dead animals could cause many to question the morality behind this type of work. Although the work is made to have shock factor, some may insist that they still need to have caution when choosing what to present to the world so that work of this nature doesn’t become heavily and negatively controversial. Whilst I believe that it is important to be wary of your audiences, I do believe that, if YBAs were to think within too much of a careful mindset, they may not have been able to make an impact that was as ground-breaking as it was.
sources: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/y/young-british-artists-ybas
https://www.sothebys.com/en/articles/who-were-the-ybas
https://www.theartstory.org/movement/young-british-artists/history-and-concepts/
Jasmine Cooper 