ARISE THE OBAS *
THE YBAS ( Young British Artists) took the art world by storm in the 1990s with their brazen controversy and youthful irreverence. Think Damien Hirst’s shark preserved in formaldehyde. But the hottest art stars right now are all eligible for a free bus pass – and they’re women.
Maria Grazia Chiuri opened Dior’s spring ’18 show with a shirt that read: Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?, the slogan taken from Linda Nochlin’s 1971 essay about the patriarchy’s dominance of art. The answer, of course, is that there are great women artists. They just haven’t had the opportunities… until now. Lubaina Himid winning the Turner Prize is the latest example of brilliant older women – finally – getting the recognition they deserve.