Fotograf Magazine

Sam Taylor-Wood (*1967), initially a post-punk rebel from the London art scene in the late 1980s/early 1990s, ranks among the group of artists, whom we have gotten used to calling during that last two decades by the generalised, partially schematising name of YBA, that is “Young British Artists” (Tracey Emin, Jake & Dinos Chapman, Marcus Harvey, Damien Hirst, Gary Hume, Sarah Lucas and others). The three-letter abbreviation became for many a synonym for contemporary visual culture. At the same time, however, it represented a repetitive source of shocking statements on post-democratic society at the end of the 20th century. Even if the initial moment of surprise has come and gone, the refreshing expression of the majority of these artists has lasted and their artistic gestures have become a generally-understandable entity. It seems unreal that twenty years have passed since their surprisingly-mature and professionally-produced public shows took place in London’s dock area under the name, Freeze. It’s incredible that just a mere three years later (1991) the instantly-renowned and world-recognised magazine, Frieze, was established. This magazine presented, socialised and ultimately “museum-ised” the works of these representatives of Britain’s youngest generation of artists.

© the artist
Courtesy Jay Jopling/ White Cube (London