Women in Revolt!

A crucial exploration of the wealth and diversity of work by women artists working in the 1970s and 1980s during a period of seismic social and political change. Women in Revolt! surfaces the lived experiences of a postwar generation of women artists that have, until now, been overlooked. These artists spent their careers and lives challenging the patriarchal power structures, often working in the margins of the museum system that rejected them, forming communities and finding new spaces to exhibit and share knowledge. For these artists, the legacy of trauma and wider global threat of military and nuclear action sat alongside increasing concern about ecological disaster, class struggles and protests around decolonisation, racism and misogyny. This book explores the incredible work created by women artists during a time of great social and political change, commencing with the formation of the women’s liberation art group and key events in 1970 and concluding in 1990, just after the introduction of Section 28 and the opening of the YBA Freeze show. It demonstrates how marginalised women’s needs and experiences were within mainstream culture, and reveals how these artists used radical ideas and methods to confront contemporary issues and fight for their place at the table. Showcasing a wide range of artists working in varied media, it celebrates a creative and politically engaged community that paved the way for future generations and changed the face of British culture.