Figuration, abstraction and the politics of representation

Nugent, Gabriella (2024) Figuration, abstraction and the politics of representation. Burlington Contemporary.

Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)

Abstract

The rise of figuration since the mid-2010s has been coterminous with the art world’s attempt to become more inclusive. Not only have there been increased demands for ‘women artists’ in the context of the #MeToo movement that began in 2017, but the global Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 galvanised the appeals for decolonisation – that is to say, the expansion of collections beyond white artists typically from Western Europe and North America. In this context, public and private institutions have depended on figurative art to demonstrate, in quite a literal way, that they are being more equitable. This trend has developed in parallel across institutions and the art market: since the mid-2000s, there has been a growth in sales of figurative painting, which subsequently has been bolstered by an institutional embrace. This article joins the likes of others by such writers as Barry Schwabsky and Larne Abse Gogarty that have explored the rise of figuration in recent years. However, it specifically examines this development in relation to the politics of representation. The criticism in this article is not directed towards the artists and works of art discussed, but rather their mobilisation by institutions. To start, the article considers the revival of an older generation of artists, as well as the wider stakes of figuration and abstraction. It then proceeds to address a schism between a Western European and North American demand for certain images in the name of decolonisation and the actual politics of artmaking in the locales that Western institutions purport to represent. At a moment when figuration is being embraced by museums and galleries seeking to perform their equity, it is surely necessary to ask what can instead be gained from abstraction.

Item Type:	Article
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Arts and Humanities > School of History
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Research Groups > Art History and World Art Studies
Related URLs:	https://contemporary.burlington.org.uk/a...
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	03 Sep 2024 16:32
Last Modified:	03 Sep 2024 16:32
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/96491
DOI:

Actions (login required)

View Item