Discuss the Minority Presence in Contemporary British Art Essay

Minority Presence in Contemporary British finesseworkHighly visible yet evasively mute. Art critic Kobena Mercer, comments on the current position of African and Asian artists in Contemporary British Art, when he suggests that nonage artists are seen and not heard. This oxymoronic position derives from a long historical legacy of European colonization and the emphasis on racial inferiority and otherness. On the one hand, British art is progressive, allowing some minority art in the general art world. Yet on the other hand minority art is still marginalized by the preferential treatment given to white artists. on that point is a strong degree of accuracy in Mercers statement because while minority art can now be seen, the voice is suppressed when the ethnic element is too strong. control comes in many forms. Not only do minority artists have a limited gallery presence in major galleries, but finding information on them can be utterly impossible when the current focus of British a rt revolves around what it means to be British. The only minority artists that are visible are artists who either play up white stereotypes or allude to a Western artistic tradition. An examination of these artists and the current art climate, indicate that the visible presence of minority artists is controlled by preconceived traditions and perceptions. The difficulties facing minority artists in Britain today relate to the current climate of the art world. A quiet tug-o-war exists between the effort to globalize the British art and return to white dominance. Multiculturalism is everywhere however, it often plays an artificial role in that its purpose is to sate a quota. The predominately white yBa movement defines the current art worl... ...the boat too much. African/Asian artists must allude to either white stereotypes or traditions, to survive in an art world that continues to be dominated by the majority. Works CitedChambers, Eddie interview with Petrine Archer Straw. From A nnotations 5 Run throughthe jungle selected writings by Eddie Chambers. edit by GilaneTawdrows andVictoria Clarke. London inIva, 1999, pp 21-31King, Catherine. Views of Difference Different Views of Art. Yale University PressLondon, 1999.Mercer, Kobena, Ethnicity and Internationality New British Art and Diaspora-BasedBlackness, Third Text, Winter 1999-2000, p 55Robinson, Hilary. visibly Female. 1986 from an interview with Yasmin Kureshi.Reworking Myths Sutapa BiswasStallabrass, Julian. High Art Light. Verso London, 1999. from Ofili, interview withMarco Spinelli, Brilliant pg. 7