An incisive exploration of the relationship between social class and art by an extraordinarily gifted young writer.
Class is a subject that has shaped the art world in Britain for as long as it has existed. At a moment when galleries and museums are seen to be upholding outdated and damaging class structures and systems, how is it possible to trace and tackle the legacy and impact of class in art throughout history, and today?
Nathalie Olah journeys from the London of Henry James and Hogarth, through Gilbert and George’s Swinging Sixties and beyond, past the Young British Artists to a new generation tackling the question of class, and the intersection of social, racial and political inequality. A radical reframing of some of our most relevant and respected artworks, Class recasts the national collection of British art in socio-political rather than chronological or art-historical terms, and by doing so, broadens access to art for all.