Discuss the Minority Presence in Contemporary British Art Essay

Minority Presence in Contemporary British artworkHighly visible yet evasively mute. Art critic Kobena Mercer, comments on the rate of flow position of Afri post and Asian artists in Contemporary British Art, when he suggests that minority 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. moreover on the other hand minority art is still marginalized by the preferential treatment given to white artists. There is a strong layer of accuracy in Mercers statement because while minority art can now be seen, the voice is suppressed when the ethnic element is too strong. Subordination comes in many forms. not only do minority artists have a limited gallery nominal head in major galleries, but finding information on them can be utterly impossible when the current focus of British art 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 attack 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 fulfill a quota. The predominately white yBa effect 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 Arche r Straw. From Annotations 5 Run throughthe jungle selected writings by Eddie Chambers. Edited by GilaneTawdrows andVictoria Clarke. capital of the United Kingdom 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