Discover the provocative world of Marcus Harvey and the Chapman Brothers, two pivotal figures in the Young British Artists (YBA) movement. This guide offers a comprehensive analysis of their key artworks, themes, and impact, perfect for students studying contemporary art.
Marcus Harvey: Exploring British Identity and Controversy in YBA Art
Marcus Harvey, a British painter, sculptor, publisher, and art educator, is renowned for his association with the YBA group that emerged in the 1990s. He studied at Goldsmiths College from 1982–1986 and has exhibited extensively across the UK and Europe, with works held in collections worldwide.
Early Works and the "Snaps" Exhibition
Harvey's 1994 White Cube Duke Street show, titled 'Snaps', featured large, brightly-coloured canvases. These works were characterized by broad sweeps of impasto paint, bearing the artist's physical handprints. The thick paint surface, with its scraped layers and smeared hues, created a highly agitated texture, referencing Action painting and the artist's physical presence.
His subject matter for 'Snaps' was drawn from the 'Readers' Wives' section of porn magazines, utilizing extreme cropping and white borders to mimic Polaroid pictures. Harvey used crisp outlines to define explicit imagery, which was then momentarily camouflaged by vivid, abstract colour. He described this technique as giving himself "boundaries, within which to dive in an orgiastic state," revealing a libidinal subversion of Abstract Expressionism.
"Myra" and the Commodification of Sex and Art
Harvey's exploration of sex commodification in high art and pornography challenged viewers to differentiate between the two. This approach collapsed the hierarchy between high art and 'low-life,' a strategy reminiscent of Pop artists like Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol. His most infamous work, "Myra," exhibited in the groundbreaking Sensation exhibition in 1997, sparked immense national and international media attention.
"Myra" was a chilling portrait of child-murderer Myra Hindley, created using repeated child's handprints. Its potency stemmed from the photographic image's deep cultural entrenchment in the British psyche. This artwork perfectly exemplified Harvey's willingness to use problematic and controversial iconography.
Later Themes: British Identity and Sculptural Works
Harvey has consistently explored themes of British identity through heavily manipulated imagery. His painting "Albus" (2009, 2018) uses the white cliffs of Dover as a metaphor for Britain's place in an uncertain world. The cliffs, depicted as strong and proud, face imminent bad weather, symbolizing shifts in global power and economic woes threatening a "fortress Britain."
More recently, Harvey has ventured into ceramics, creating tough, humorous, and unapologetic sculptures. These works forge motifs and emblems of Britishness into collaged portraits of historical figures and foes, from Nelson to Margaret Thatcher and Napoleon to Tony Blair. He co-founded 'Turps Banana' painting magazine (2005) and 'Turps Banana Art school' (2012).
Jake and Dinos Chapman: Irony, Sarcasm, and Societal Critique
Jake and Dinos Chapman, a highly regarded duo, are integral to the international art scene, known for their diverse artistic techniques and thematic range. Their work is characterized by intense irony and sarcasm, reflecting on debased political, social, religious, and moral situations.
Controversial Reinterpretations and Iconoclasm
Their artistic collaboration began in 1990 after graduating from the Royal College of Art. A strong response was evoked by their alterations of Goya's "Disasters of War" graphic prints, where victim heads were replaced with clowns and puppies. This act of "destruction, desecration, and removal of someone else's paintings" through iconoclasm serves as a reflection of the savagery in our own culture.
The Chapmans create installations, sculptures, and paintings that use cynical and sarcastic humor to highlight society's fascination with horror, evil, and perversion. Their art acts as a mirror, exposing the "banality of ubiquitous evil" in a manner that is brutal, disturbing, and profoundly ironic.
"Six Feet Under" and the Loss of Innocence
Their 1997 installation, "Six Feet Under," features infamous cast-resin sculptures of prepubescent children with multiple adult genitalia and extra body parts. This work, described as "vile and disgusting," reflects values that are immature and sensationalistic, yet it compelled viewers with its provocative nature. The mannequins, appearing as "sex-pocked kids," are seen as art mercenaries serving disparate narratives.
"Six Feet Under" explores themes of child molestation, pedophilia, cloning technologies, and the commodification of youth and abjection. The title itself invites interpretation, suggesting the death of childhood innocence and the sanctity of the body. Placed high on a parapet, these "cyborglings" seem to have risen in an "apotheosis," while the gallery's crypt-like atmosphere implies that viewers are the "living dead." The work ultimately comments on our consumption of gore and the pervasive "consumer-friendly horror" in modern society.
Collaborative and Individual Practices
Jake and Dinos frequently scrutinize and confront the idea of creative collaboration itself. Unlike Gilbert & George, for whom they once worked as studio assistants, their practice is not one of "singular duality." They have always discussed, debated, and even argued over creative ideas, finding interest in their "divergences" rather than similarities.
In 1999, they created 'GCSE Art Project,' producing works individually. In 2000, 'Exquisite Corpse' involved them working in separate studios, revealing their individual creations only during the exhibition staging. As Dinos stated, "Jake and I only make things that amuse us… So I make things for Jake and he makes things for me."
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Frequently Asked Questions about YBA Artists Harvey & Chapman
What are the main themes in Marcus Harvey's art?
Marcus Harvey primarily explores themes of British identity, often through controversial iconography. He delves into the commodification of sex and art, subverts Abstract Expressionism with libidinal themes, and critiques national character and its vulnerabilities through allegorical works like "Albus."
How do the Chapman Brothers use irony in their work?
The Chapman Brothers utilize intense irony and sarcasm to critique political, social, religious, and moral situations. They recontextualize famous artworks, such as Goya's "Disasters of War," with grotesque elements to highlight the "savagery of our own culture" and the "banality of ubiquitous evil," creating works that are brutal, disturbing, and yet humorous.
What was the controversy surrounding Marcus Harvey's "Myra"?
"Myra" (1997) was controversial due to its subject matter: a portrait of child-murderer Myra Hindley, created using repeated child's handprints. The artwork provoked immense media attention for its provocative use of a highly recognizable and emotionally charged image in British popular culture, challenging societal norms and artistic boundaries.
What is "Six Feet Under" by the Chapman Brothers?
"Six Feet Under" (1997) is an installation featuring highly provocative sculptures of prepubescent children with multiple adult genitalia and extra body parts. The work explores themes of lost innocence, commodification of abjection, pedophilia, and mass culture's fetishization of horror, prompting viewers to question their own consumption of disturbing imagery.