Exhibition that is celebrating the rebellious spirit of women

The connection between art and activism in late 20th-century UK is the subject of a new exhibition opening in Edinburgh next week, one focusing on women artists in particular and landing in the capital fresh from a blockbuster run in a prestigious London gallery.

WHAT’S IT CALLED?

The full title is Women In Revolt! Art And Activism In The UK 1970-1990. The exhibition bills itself as “a major survey of feminist art, celebrating the women whose radical ideas and rebellious methods changed the face of British culture.”

WHERE’S IT ON?

The show was mounted initially in London, opening at Tate Britain in November 2023 and running until April this year. For its only Scottish run it takes over all of the National Galleries of Scotland’s Modern Two venue in Edinburgh.

WHAT’S IN IT?

The face on the poster is that of artist and musician Gina Birch, once a member of cult bands The Raincoats (who later toured with Nirvana) and Red Krayola.

She stars in her own 1977 film 3 Minute Scream – three minutes of her screaming into the camera. “The film communicates a powerful statement of defiance, conveying what many young women felt but were not given the opportunity to articulate,” say the curators.

It was true then and is probably still true today.

Also featured in the show are works by Scottish or Scotland-based artists such as Elizabeth Radcliffe, Rita McGurn, Maud Sulter, and Sam Ainsley. Radcliffe is represented by Cool Bitch And Hot Dog, a 1978 sculptural confection of wool, linen and papier mache, while Sam Ainsley’s 11 feet tall 1986 work Warrior Woman V:

The Artist will be on display in Scotland for the first time in nearly four decades.

WHAT ELSE?

Alongside these works are pieces by artists such as Helen Chadwick, Sonia Boyce and Linder – the mononym used by photographer and performance artist Linder Sterling.

Another musician, she designed album covers for The Buzzcocks and Magazine, was a founder member of Manchester post-punk band Ludus, and after they met and bonded at an iconic Sex Pistols gig in Manchester in 1976, a firm friend of one Steven Morrissey.

You can also see photographs by Marianne Elliott-Said, better known to music fans as Poly Styrene of punk icons X-Ray Spex, and posters by feminist co-operative See Red Women’s Workshop.

WHAT DOES IT COVER?

The two decades in question were politically seismic, covering the high watermark of second wave feminism as well as the punk and rave scenes, with their anti-Establishment credo and DIY ethos, as well as the Greenham Common protest, which locked into the wider peace movement.

These all feature in the exhibition and among the other topics examined are women’s maternal and domestic experiences, the availability (or unavailability) of childcare, the visibility (or invisibility) of black and south Asian artists, and artistic responses to the AIDs epidemic and the Conservative government’s notorious Section 28 legislation.

Work relating to these subjects is presented across six themed galleries.

WHAT ARE THE SAYING?

Hailing the show as “an important exhibition”, newly appointed director-general of the National Galleries of Scotland Anne Lyden says: “We are proud to platform the work of women artists who have been underrepresented throughout their careers.

“Women In Revolt! also presents a fantastic opportunity to consider the Scottish women artists who have contributed significantly not only to the world of art, but the world around us.”

Linsey Young, Edinburgh-born curator of British Contemporary Art at Tate Britain, adds: “It’s a real joy to be able to present works by local artists such as Maud Sulter, Sam Ainsley, Rita McGurn, Erica Rutherford and Elizabeth Radcliffe in the exhibition along with so many of their celebrated peers, demonstrating the importance of Scottish women’s artistic practice in the broader context of feminist art history across the UK.”

WHEN DOES IT OPEN?

Women in Revolt! Art And Activism In The UK 1970-1990 opens to the public on May 25 and runs until January 26, 2025. Tickets cost between £4 and £14. The gallery is open daily from 10am to 5pm.