Catalogue relating to an exhibition, 1992
Published by: Serpentine Gallery
Year published: 1992
ISBN: 1 870814 41 X
Unpaginated.

Small, but hugely significant unpaginated catalogue for an important group exhibition in London, that included the work of then-recent art school graduate, Yinka Shonibare. This was one of the first exhibitions in which Shonibare made use of his now-trademark faux African-fabric. Following two years of postgraduate study at Goldsmiths College, Yinka Shonibare was included in the prestigious Barclays Young Artist Award 1992, held at the Serpentine Gallery in London. This was the eighth year of the annual exhibition of London art school postgraduates shortlisted for this award. Along with Shonibare, the other shortlisted artists were: Richard Ducker, Janice Howard, Andrew Kearney, Gabriel Klasmer, Joanna Lawrance, Lisa Richardson, Stefan Shankland, and Mari Tachikawa. Though five of these artists were apparently “not British in terms of birthplace or ethnicity,” Elsbeth Court (who reviewed the exhibition for African arts magazine) also claimed that Shonibare was “the first non-European selected to be a finalist.” The significance of Shonibare’s inclusion in the exhibition cannot easily be overstated. More than a decade and a half after the Barclays Young Artist Award 1992, Shonibare was asked, in an interview for the Guardian to describe what his big breakthrough was. He replied: “Winning a Barclays Young Artist award in 1992. It got me noticed.”

The catalogue featured brief biographical notes on each of the artists, plus several pages of small monochromatic reproductions of the artists’ work. The catalogue also featured a short introduction to the exhibition by Mel Gooding, on behalf of the judging committee, which consisted of Mel Gooding, John McEwen, and Bruce McLean, in consultation with Julia Peyton-Jones, who organised the exhibition.

Contents:

Introduction, by Humphrey Norrington, Vice-Chairman and Deputy Managing Director Barclays Bank PLC

Foreword, by Julia Peyton-Jones, [Serpentine] Director

Barclays Young Artist Award 1992, by Mel Gooding, for The Judging Panel

Artists’ pages

Credits

This copy of the catalogue was formerly in the Kent Institute of Art & Design Library, stamped “Withdrawn From the LLC UCCA”