Sarah Lucas
Bunny, 1997
Courtesy the artist and Sadie Coles HQ, London
Since 1990, Sarah Lucas has been creating art that distorts everyday objects to reveal their expressive qualities. In her exhibition, she uses items like bananas, lightbulbs, concrete, fish, a car, tights, chairs, tabloid newspapers, and cigarettes to explore universal questions about human existence, including origins, sex, class, happiness, and mortality. While her work is deeply personal, it also addresses common themes and could relate to anyone. The exhibition goes beyond her association with the 1990s Young British Art scene and offers a comprehensive look at her art over nearly 35 years, featuring self-portraits and her evolution as an artist.
Lucas challenges artistic conventions through her choice of subjects and materials, often manipulating them with care despite their casual appearance. Her work evokes a mood of grit, shock, and play, frequently touching on themes of sex, smoking, and food, punctuated by both dark and pleasurable elements. Lucas's subversion of social realism exposes the laughable and demeaning aspects of class and gender stereotypes. Her art combines explicit metaphors, unusual body forms, and oversized food to create a magical quality, resulting in a defiant, joyful, and vibrant atmosphere.
Happy Gas By Sarah Lucas is on view through January 14th, at Tate Modern, Bankside, London