Race, Ethnicity and the Visual Arts in 20th and 21st Century Britain

Richard Hylton, SOAS, University of London; Eddie Chambers, University of Texas at Austin; Emily Burns, Auburn University

In 'Race, Ethnicity and the Visual Arts in 20th and 21st Century Britain', Richard Hylton , Lecturer in Contemporary Art, SOAS, and Eddie Chambers, David Bruton, Jr. Centennial Professor in Art History, University of Texas at Austin will offer brief comments on recent histories of Black artists in Britain. Though the documented presence of Black artists in Britain goes back many decades, recent developments in these histories have included marked and noticeable changes in the institutional recognition and embrace of practitioners of the contemporary era. How have artists been caught up in a changing art world seemingly now inclined to embrace certain artists, even as it maintains its wariness and partiality around Black artists’ proximity to ‘race’ and ‘ethnicity’. Further, which art practices have become particularly celebrated? Two short commentaries, by Hylton and Chambers will open up considerations of these questions, in a panel chaired by Emily Burns, Associate Professor, Auburn University, who recently spent time as a visiting professor at the University of Oxford.

Organized by the University of Texas at Austin’s British, Irish and Empire Studies program, convened by Professor Philippa Levine

Booking: To attend the talk, please register via Zoom .