High Art Lite: The Rise and Fall of Young British Art (Revised and Expanded edition)

346 Pages·2006·111.898 MB·English

by  Julian Stallabrass

High art lite
British art in the 1 990s
Julian Stallabrass
V
VERSO
London • New York
First published by Verso 1999
© Julian Stallabrass 1999
All rights reserved
The moral rights of the author have been asserted
Financial assistance from the Courtauld Institute of Art
Research Fund is gratefully acknowledged
Verso
UK: 6 Meard Street, London w1v JHR
US: 180Varick Street,NewYork,NY 10014-4606
Verso is the imprint of New Left Books
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress
Designed and typeset by Newton Harris and
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Printed in the U .K.
Contents
List of illustrations/p icture credits
V
Acknowledgements
IX
1 Introduction
l
Part I Rising from recession
2 Famous for being famous 17
3 Artist-curators and the 'alternative' scene 49
4 Dumb and dumber? 84
Part II Playing for time
5 That's entertainment 127
6 The market and the state 170
7 Saatchi and Sensation 196
Part Ill Everything you want
8 The Britishness ofBritish art 225
9 The decline and fall of art criticism 258
10 The future for high art lite 273
Notes 296
References 323
Index 335
Contents III
List of illustrations/picture
credits
1 Michael Landy, Closing Down Sale, 1992, mixed media. Courtesy the artist. Photo
Edward Woodman 6
2 Rachel Whiteread, House, October 1993-January 1994, an Artangel/Beck's
commission. Courtesy Artangel. Photo Sue Ormerod 9
3 Marc Quinn, You Take My Breath Away, 1992, latex rubber, height 70½ ins. Courtesy
Jay Jopling, London. Photo Stephen White 17
4 Damien Hirst, The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, 1991,
glass, steel, silicone, shark and 5 per cent formaldehyde solution, 84 x 252 x 84 ins.
Courtesy Jay Jopling, London. Photo Anthony Oliver 19
5 Damien Hirst, Dead Ends Died Out, Explored, 1993, MDF, glass and cigarette butts,
60¼ x 96¾ x 4¾ ins. Courtesy Jay Jopling, London 22
6 Damien Hirst, A Thousand Years, 1990, glass, steel, MDF board, cow's head, fly zapper,
bowls of sugar water, 84 x 168 x 84 ins. Courtesy Jay Jopling, London. Photo
Anthony Oliver 24
7 Damien Hirst, beautiful, screaming, razors, screeclzing brakes, slicing skin, dark blues painting,
1996, gloss household paint on canvas, 84 ins diameter. Courtesy Jay Jopling,
London. Photo Stephen White 29
8 Gary Hume, Puppy Dog, 1994, oil on panel, 97½ x 49½ ins. Courtesy Jay Jopling,
London 33
9 Gary Hume, Tony Blackburn, 1994, gloss and matt paint on panel, 76 x 54 ins.
Courtesy Jay Jopling, London 34
10 Tracey Emin, Everyone I Have Ever Slept With (1963-1995), 1995, applique tent,
mattress and light, 48 x 96½ x 84½ ins. Courtesy Jay Jopling, London. Photo
Stephen White 3 7
1 l Tracey Emin, Weird Sex, 1997, monoprint, 25½ x 34½ ins framed. Courtesy Jay
Jopling,London 38
12 Tracey Emin, Garden of Horror, 1998, applique blanket, 104½ x 77 ins. Courtesy Jay
Jopling, London. Photo Stephen White 40
13 Tracey Emin, We Killed the Fucking Dinner Lady, T995, monoprint, 11½ x 16½ ins.
Courtesy Jay Jopling, London. Photo Stephen White 41
14 Gavin Turk, Cave, 1991, ceramic plaque, 19½ ins dian1eter. Courtesy Jay Jopling,
London 44
List of illustrations/picture credits v
15 Gavin Turk, Pop, 1993, waxwork in wood, glass and brass vitrine,
109½ x 45¼ x 45¼ ins. Courtesy Jay Jopling, London. Photo Hugh Glendinning 45
16 Installation shot of Candyman II, 1994, with the work ofBob and Roberta Smith
(foreground) and Matthew Collings (background). Photo Julian Stallabrass 50
17 Angela Bulloch, Mud Slinger, 1993, private collection, London. Courtesy Robert
Prime 56
18 Glenn Brown, The Day tlze World Turned Auerbach, 1992, oil on canvas, 22 x 20 ins.
Courtesy the Saatchi Gallery, London 5 8
19 Abigail Lane, Miifit, 1994, wax, plaster, oil paint, human hair, clothing, glass eyes,
23x31 x 75 ins. Courtesy Victoria Miro Gallery, London 61
20 Marcus Harvey, Proud of his Wife, 1994, oil and acrylic on canvas, 78 X 78 ins.
Courtesy the Saatchi Gallery, London. Photo Anthony Oliver 63
21 Adam Chodzko, The God Look-Alike Contest, 1992-93, mixed media, each picture
22½ x 17½ x 9¾ ins. Courtesy the Saatchi Gallery, London 66
22 Bank, God, 1997, installation view. Courtesy Bank 69
23 Bank, painting from Stop Short-Changing Us, 1998. Courtesy Bank 71
24 Beaconsfield, 'The Lisson Gallery 1, installation view, 1994, showing David Crawforth,
Guinea Pig, 1994. Courtesy Beaconsfield 74
25 Tomoko Takahashi, Beaconifield, 1997, mixed media, dimensions variable. Courtesy
Beaconsfield 77
26 Peter Davies, The Hot One Hundred, 1996, The Saatchi Gallery, London. Courtesy
the artist. Photo Stephen White 82
27 Gilbert and George, May Man, 1986, 95 x 99 ins, Courtesy Prudence Cuming
Associates 8 8
28 Fiona Rae, Untitled (Tl ooo ), 1996, oil and acrylic on canvas, 84 x 72 ins. Collection
Leslie and Clodagh Waddington. Courtesy Luhring Augustine Gallery, New York.
Photo Prudence Cuming Associates 90
29 Sarah Lucas, Two Fried Eggs and a Kebab, 1992, photograph, fried eggs, kebab and
table. Courtesy Sadie Coles HQ, London 92
30 Sarah Lucas, Seven Up, 1991, b/w print, four parts, each 12 x 16 ins. Courtesy Sadie
Coles HQ, London 92
3 Damien Hirst, I Feel Love, 1994-95, gloss household paint on canvas and butterflies,
l
84 x 84 ins. Courtesy Jay Jopling, London. Photo Stephen White 97
32 Simon Perriton, Radiant Anarchy Doily, 1997, black/pink paper, 32 x 28 ins.
Courtesy Sadie Coles HQ, London 100
3 3 Jake and Dinos Chapman, Fuckface Twin, 199 5, 1nixed media. Courtesy Victoria
Miro Gallery, London 102
34 Chris Ofili, 11ie Holy Virgin Mary, 1996, mixed n1edia, 96 x 72 ins. Courtesy Victoria
Miro Gallery, London 110
35 Chris Ofili, MouiniThi, 1996, n1ixed media, 72 x 48 ins. Courtesy Victoria Miro
Gallery, London 1 14
36 Chris Ofili, No Woman, No Cry, 1998,mixed 1nedia, 96 x 72 ins. Courtesy Victoria
Miro Gallery, London 115
37 Damien Hirst, Isolated Elements Swimming in tlie Same Direction for the Purpose of
Understanding ~eft), 1991, MDF, n1elamine, wood, steel, glass, perspex cases, fish and
5 per cent formaldehyde solution, 72 x 108 x 10 ins. Courtesy Jay Jopling, London.
Photo Stephen White 127
VI List of illustrations/picture credits
38 Henry Bond, No.119, 1998, C-print photograph, unique, 47¼ x 63 ins. Courtesy
Emily Tsingou Gallery, London I 32
39 Abigail Lane, Red Vertigo and Bloody Wallpaper, 1995, as shown at the Institute of
Conte1nporary Art, London, March 99 5. Courtesy Victoria Miro Gallery, London 3 6
I I
40 Gillian Wearing, Masturbation, 1991-92, C-type colour prints, each 96 x 72 ins.
Co"urtesy Maureen Paley /Interim Art I 38
41 Sam Taylor-Wood, Fuck, Suck, Spa11k Wank, 1993, C-type print, 57 x 44¾ ins.
1
Courtesy Jay Jopling, London. Photo Stephen White 142
42 Sam Taylor-Wood, Five Revolutionary Seconds XIII, 1998, colour photograph on
vinyl with sound, 44¾ x 304½ ins. Courtesy Jay Jopling, London 144
43 Jake and Dinos Chapman, Obennenscli, 1995, fibreglass, resin, paint, 144 x 72 x 72 ins.
Courtesy the Saatchi Gallery, London r 46
44 Mat Collishaw, Bullet Hole, 1988/ 1993, Cibachrome mounted on fifteen light boxes,
90 x I 22 ins. Collection of Charles Saatchi, London. Courtesy ofTanya Bonakdar
Gallery,NewYork 148
45 Mat Collishaw, TlieAwakening of Conscie11ce: Emily, 1997 (detail), Nova print, wood,
glass, 78¾ x 78¾ ins. Courtesy the Lisson Gallery, London I 50
46 Sarah Lucas, SodYou Gits, 1991, black and white print, four parts, each 12 x 16 ins.
Courtesy Sadie Coles HQ, London I 52
47 Marc Quinn, Self, 1991, blood, stainless steel, perspex and refrigeration equipment,
Sr½ x 24¾ x 24¾. Courtesy Jay Jopling, London 156
48 Fiona Banner, Chinook Drawing, 1995, pencil on paper, 46 x 74 ins. Courtesy Frith
Street Gallery 159
49 Damien Hirst, Apotryptophanase, 1994, gloss household paint on canvas, 8 I x 87 ins.
Courtesy Jay Jopling, London 161
50 Ian Davenport, 1998, Poured Painting: Lime Green, Pale Yellow, Lime Green, 1998,
household paint on medium density fibreboard, 72 x 72 ins. Courtesy the
Waddington Galleries, London. Photo Prudence Cuming Associates I 64
5 I Simon Patterson, Untitled, 1996, Dacron, aluminium, steel and mixed media.
Courtesy Lisson Gallery, London 178
52 Dan1ien Hirst, Awayf rom the Flock, I 994, steel, glass, formaldehyde solution and
lamb, 3 8 x 5 8¾ ins. Courtesy Jay Jopling, London. Photo Stephen White 8
I I
53 Angela Bulloch, Rules Series, 1993, collection Gaby and Wilhelm Schilrmann.
Courtesy Robert Prime I 87
54 Powerhouse: :uk installation view, Horse Guards' Parade, London, 1998. Photo Julian
Stallabrass 190
5 5 Marcus Harvey, Myra, I 99 5, acrylic on canvas, I 5 6 x I 26 ins. Courtesy the Saatchi
Gallery, London. Photo Stephen White 203
56 Installation view of Sensation:Young BritisliArtistsfrom tlie Saatclii Collection, Royal
Academy ofA rts, I 997. Photo Stephen White 2 I I
57 Martin Maloney, Sony Levi, 1997, oil on canvas, 68 x I 17 ins. Courtesy the Saatchi
Gallery, London 217
58 Dexter Dalwood, Paisley Park, 1998, oil on canvas, 60 x 72 ins. Courtesy the Saatchi
Gallery, London. Photo Peter White 9
2 I
59 Gavin Turk, Crumple Zone, 1997, oil on paper, 8¼ x I I ins. Courtesy Jay Jopling,
London. Photo Stephen White 225
60 Steve McQueen, Bear, 1993. Permission to reproduce denied 23 I
List of illustrations/picture credits VII
61 Sarah Lucas, Car Park, installation view, Museum Ludwig, Cologne, 1997. Courtesy
Sadie Coles HQ, London 237
62 Damien Hirst, Mother and Child Divided, 1993, steel, GRP composites, glass, silicone
sealants, cow, calf, formaldehyde solution. Courtesy Jay Jopling, London. Photo
Stephen White 240
63 Keith Coventry, Looted Shop Front, 1995, bronze, ror x 142½ x 6¾ ins. Courtesy
Richard Salmon Gallery, London 242
64 Rut Blees Luxemburg, Vertiginous Exhilaration, 1995 C-print mounted on
aluminiun1, 59 x 71 ins. Courtesy Laurent Delaye Gallery, London 243
65 Rut Blees Luxemburg, Meet Me in Arcadia, 1996, C-print mounted on aluminium,
24 x 30 ins. Courtesy Laurent Delaye Gallery, London 244
66 Gillian Wearing, Signs that say what you want them to say and not Signs that say what
someone else wants you to say, 1992-93, C-type colour print, 5¾ x r¾ ins, series of
I I
approx. 600 photographs. Courtesy Maureen Paley /Interim Art 248
67 Richard Billingham,Ray~ a Laugh, 1996. Permission to reproduce denied 250
68 Richard Billingham, Ray~ a Laugh, 1996. Permission to reproduce denied 25 r
69 Martin Maloney, The Lecturer, 1997, oil on canvas, 96 x 66 ins. Courtesy the Saatchi
Gallery, London 2 5 8
70 Bank, 'Sarah Kent Stupid Official', The Bank, no. 20, 1997. Courtesy Bank 260
71 Mat Collishaw, Narcissus, 1990, black and white print, ro x 7¾ ins. Courtesy the
Lisson Gallery, London 26 3
72 Mat Collishaw, Infectious Flowers (Metastases from Malig1tant Melanorna), 1996,
50 x 50 ins. Courtesy the Lisson Gallery, London 273
73 Gavin Turk, Bum, 1998, waxwork, 65¾ x 27½ x 27½ ins. Courtesy Jay Jopling,
London. Photo Stephen White 283
74 Mark Wallinger, Capital, 1990. Permission to reproduce denied 284
7 5 Michael Landy, Scrapheap Services, I 99 5, mixed n1edia. Collection Tate Gallery.
Courtesy the artist. Photo Stephen White 287
76 Angela Bulloch, Betaville, I 994, private collection, London. Courtesy Robert Prime 292
VIII List of illustrations/picture credits
Acknov,ledgements
Baudelaire says that the impartial critic should have no friends and no ene
mies. While being aware of the danger of acquiring too many friends, and
keeping a little distance from the scene I have taken as my subject, I have found
a few, and all have been important to the development of my views, though
none is in any way responsible for them.
I would particularly like to thank Sebastian Budgen, Malcolm Bull, Kitty
Hauser and Chin-tao Wu, who all read a draft and made detailed comments
that have helped me to improve the book. Furthermore, I have benefited from
conversations about the British art scene with many people, especially
Matthew Arnatt, Lise Autogena, David Crawforth, Robert Garnett, Ella
Gibbs, Tony Halliday, Mick James, Hayley Newman, Naomi Siderfin,Jessica
Wyman and Carey Young. I have also had many stimulating exchanges of
views with my colleagues at New Left Review, the Courtauld Institute of Art
and the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art. I would also like to thank my
BA and MA students at the Courtauld and the Ruskin, from whom I have
learned much during seminars and gallery visits. In addition, Bank and Rut
Blees Luxemburg kindly provided material about their activities. I am also
very grateful to the Courtauld Institute for providing a grant towards the cost
of reproducing images in colour.
Some of the text in this book has appeared previously in the forn1 of art
icles and reviews, though all of it has been considerably 1nodified for inclusion
here. Chapters which contain this material are as follows: chapter 2: 'In and
Out of Love with Damien Hirst', New Left Review, no. 216,March-April 1996;
chapter 3: 'On the Margins', Art Monthly, no. 182, December 1994-January
1995; 'Artist-Curators and the New British Art', Art & Design, vol. 12, nos.
Acknowledgements IX
1-2,January-February 1997; and review of Tomoko Takahashi, Beaconsfield,
London,ANVisualArts, February 1998; chapter 4: 'Phoney War' ,Art Monthly,
no. 206, May 1997; chapter T 'High Art Lite at the Royal Academy', Third Text,
no. 42, Spring 1998; chapter 9: 'The Decline and Fall of Art Criticism', Maga
zyn Sztuki (Gdansk), no. 18, 1998; chapter 10: catalogue essay to Beacons
field/ AMPCOM, Between the Devil and the Deep (Blue) Sea, London/Helsinki
1997.
Finally a note by way of 'anti-acknowledgement'. Anthony Reynolds, who
represents Richard Billingham, Steve McQueen and Mark Wallinger, insisted
on seeing passages from the book before deciding whether to grant permis
sion to reproduce these artists' work. Not liking what he read, he denied per
mission to reproduce the illustrations needed to illustrate the text. The pictures
I had chosen appear as blank rectangles along with their captions, and readers
interested in seeing them can consult Billingham's Ray '5 a Laugh, McQueen's
Institute of Conte1nporary Arts catalogue and Wallinger's Ikon Gallery cata
logue, all listed in the references. This attempt to control the context in which
artists' work is seen well illustrates the points made about the influence of
commerce over criticism in chapter 9.
X Acknowledgements
1
Introduction
Once upon a time, not so long ago, some of us involved in the art world
thought that all would be well with contemporary art if only it were less elit
ist, if a little air could be admitted into the tight circle of our enthusiasm, if the
public could be persuaded that the products of this world were not some con,
dedicated to providing assorted posh types with an easy and entertaining
living. For, aside from this one glaring fault, some of the art seemed worthy of
people's attention, being radical, serious, surprising, and having the potential
to change those who saw it and thought about it. At the same time, especially
in Britain, that opening up of art to a wide public seemed extremely difficult
to achieve. The separation between the sophisticated, not to say abstruse, art
with its small cosmopolitan audience, and the philistine, materially driven
masses seemed absolute. An interest in contemporary art was something that
many people felt that they ought to cultivate, that seemed frightfully worthy
if a little disconnected from life, and for which, in the end, there was never
enough time.
In the 990s, by contrast, this earnest minority pursuit has come to shine
I
with some of the reflected glory of the fashion, film and music industries - a
bright if distant and minor satellite in the firmament of n1-ass culture.Johnnie
Shand Kydd, a relative of Princess Diana, has produced a book of photographs
of artists idling on the scene, drinking and falling about.1 Pictures of high but
also at the same time low society, taken by an aristo slumming it in bohemia,
as so many have before him. The very fact that this book of banal and poorly
taken photographs was published, and by a major art publisher at that, is a
register of the extent to which the artists themselves have become a focus for
curiosity as personalities, as stars. Yet now that contemporary British art has
Introduction I