'In the 1980s—at the height of Thatcherism and in the wake of civil unrest and rioting in a number of British cities—the Black Arts Movement burst onto the British art scene with breathtaking intensity, changing the nature and perception of British culture irreversibly. This richly illustrated volume presents a history of that movement. It brings together in a lively dialogue leading artists, curators, art historians, and critics, many of whom were actively involved in the Black Arts Movement. Combining cultural theory with anecdote and experience, the contributors debate how the work of the black British artists of the 1980s should be viewed historically. They consider the political, cultural, and artistic developments that sparked the movement even as they explore the extent to which such a diverse body of work can be said to constitute a distinct artistic movement—particularly given that “black” in Britain in the 1980s encompassed those of South Asian, North and sub-Saharan African, and Caribbean descent, referring as much to shared experiences of disenfranchisement as to shades of skin.

In thirteen original essays, the contributors examine the movement in relation to artistic practice, public funding, and the transnational art market and consider its legacy for today’s artists and activists. The volume includes a unique catalog of images, an extensive list of suggested readings, and a descriptive timeline situating the movement vis-à-vis relevant artworks and films, exhibitions, cultural criticism, and political events from 1960 to 2000. A dynamic living archive of conversations, texts, and images, Shades of Black will be an essential resource.' - from the publisher

Published in collaboration with the Institute of International Visual Arts (INIVA) and the African and Asian Visual Artists' Archive (AAVAA).

Access level

Onsite

Location code
REF.BAD
Language

English

Publication/Creation date

2005

No of pages

340

ISBN / ISSN

9780822334200

No of copies

1

Content type

anthology, 

conference proceedings

Chapter headings

Shades of Black: Assembling the 1980s

- David A. BAILEY, Ian BAUCOM, Sonia BOYCE

Part One: Texts

Assembling the 1980s: The Deluge—and After

- Stuart HALL

The Success and Failure of the Black Arts Movement

- Rasheed ARAEEN

Wait, Did I Miss Something? Some Personal Musings on the 1980s and Beyond

- Keith PIPER

Inside the Invisible: For/Getting Strategy

- Lubaina HIMID

Iconography after Identity

- Kobena MERCER

A to Y (Entries for an Inventionry of Dented "I"s)

- susan pui san lok, 駱佩珊

On Becoming an Artist: Algerian, African, Arab, Muslim, French, and Black British? A Dialogue of Visibility

- Zineb SEDIRA

CoRespondents

- Yongsoon MIN, Allan DESOUZA

Triangular Trades: Late-Twentieth-Century "Black" Art and Transatlantic Cultural Commerce

- Judith WILSON

Collaborative Projects: Toward a More Inclusive Practice

- Dawoud REY

Why Asia Now? Contemporary Asian Art and the Politics of Multiculturalism

- Stanley ABE, 阿部賢次

Choices for Black Arts in Britain over Thirty Years

- Naseem KHAN

A Case of Mistaken Identity

- Gilane TAWADROS

Part Two: The Conference

Conference Papers and Speakers

Dialogues

- Jean FISHER

Part Three: Timelines

Introduction

- Adelaide BANNERMAN

Time Lines

Part Four: Recommended Reading

Introduction

- Leon WAINWRIGHT

Histories and Positions

Visual Practices

Exhibitions and Display

Institutions, Policies, and Reports

Shades of Black: Assembling Black Arts in 1980s Britain
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Shades of Black: Assembling Black Arts in 1980s Britain