Women in Revolt!: Art and Activism in the UK 1970–90

A timely exploration of the work and lived experiences of a postwar generation of women artists that have largely been omitted from art historical narratives, Women in Revolt! surfaces the wealth and diversity of work created in the UK during the 1970s and 80s, a period of seismic social and political change.

Across a wide variety of mediums including painting, drawing, sculpture, performance, film and photography, this extensive exhibition book reflects on how women’s needs were marginalised within mainstream culture and reveals how artists used radical ideas and methods to confront issues that will resonate with contemporary audiences ― from access to healthcare and class struggles to ecological disaster, racism and misogyny.

Featuring essays on feminist film distribution, the visibility of Black and South Asian women artists, Section 28 and the AIDS pandemic, Greenham Common and the peace movement, and the intersection of punk, feminism and art, Women in Revolt! celebrates the full diversity of what was a highly creative, politically engaged and determined community of women that paved the way for future generations and, ultimately, changed the face of British culture.

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