Lucky Kunst
The Rise and Fall of Young British Art
Published on 25. January 2010
Book
Paperback/Softback
320 pages
978-1-84513-528-7 (ISBN)
Description
These days artists like Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and the Chapman brothers are not only big business but also , quite simply, celebrities. But they rose from obscurity back in the eighties and nineties in a then-semi-derelict part of east London by visiting upon the art world a set of artworks as outlandish and attention-seeking (not to mention scatological) as their general behaviour. This is the first account of how YBA (Young British Artists) came about, by the group's only 'embedded journalist': an outrageously comic tale of White Cube openings, fights in pubs, vomiting into fountains and, eventually, the breakthrough exhibition Sensation. Throughout, Gregor Muir was there...
Reviews / Votes
'This lucid, lurid, indiscreet memoir is an unrivalled record of 1990s Cool Britannia, when British Art ruled the world' Financial Times 'An absorbing and intelligent account of the times, this is a must-read for anyone interested in contemporary art or the 1990s Brit Scene' The Bookseller 'I think Gregor's anecdotal journey of 10 years in the British art world is a fantastic historical document...his book describes those defining moments so well.' -Tracey Emin The Independent 'Sharply atmospheric...a picaresque journey, a fly-in-the-vitrine's-eye view of the period' -- Hermione Eyre New Statesman 20090212 'All the stars of the YBA movement appear in this former journalists memoir, swearing and yelling as they go' -- Matthew Collings Observer Review 20100221More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Quarto Publishing PLC
Illustrations
Illustrations (chiefly col.), ports. (some col.)
Dimensions
Height: 197 mm
Width: 129 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-84513-528-7 (9781845135287)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Gregor Muir is the Executive Director of the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London. Previously, he has been director of Hauser & Wirth (London), the contemporary art gallery, and Kramlich Curator of Contemporary Art at the Tate where he curated several exhibitions and museum displays, and was responsible for numerous acquisitions of contemporary art for Tate Collections. Muir curated YBA group shows such as 'Lucky Kunst' and 'Liar'. He has been a critic and writer for various cutting-edge publications such as Dazed & Confused, Parkett and Frieze magazine.