YBAs = provocative. The collective of artists who came up in London in the late 1980s and early ’90s — commonly referred to as the Young British Artists (YBAs) — have made their indelible mark on the art world and continue to produce work that both challenges the viewer and seduces collectors the world over.
Damien Hirst played the role of pioneer in 1988 by organizing “Freeze,” the first of several artist-curated group shows held in abandoned warehouses across London. Most of the artists participating in these early exhibitions — among them Sarah Lucas, Gary Hume, Liam Gillick, Mat Collishaw, Sam Taylor-Wood (now generating more buzz for her directorial work on the film 50 Shades of Grey), and Hirst himself — were graduates of Goldsmiths, University of London. The group’s sophisticated maturity and confidence in presenting Conceptual art with shock appeal, such as Collishaw’s Bullet Hole, a photograph that offers a disturbingly gruesome close-up of a man’s fatal wound, left a lasting impression with Charles Saatchi and other art world stalwarts.
From the beginning, Hirst was fascinated by such epic themes as death and immortality and sought to express them through unconventional, powerful gestures; his early works include A Thousand Years, 1990, in which flies feed on a bloody cow head, breed and die by electrocution within a large glass vitrine, and The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, 1991, his Jaws-inspired suspension of a great white shark in formaldehyde. Following in the footsteps of artists ranging from Marcel Duchamp, Andy Warhol and Jeff Koons, Hirst was inspired by mundane objects from daily life, incorporating them into his works, most famously his "Medicine Cabinets" filled with brightly packaged pills.
Notoriously dubbed an “enfant terrible” of the art world, Tracey Emin once printed a photo of Damien Hirst, stuck it on the bottom of an ashtray, and sold it as a piece of art. Represented by 1stDibs’ Lehmann Maupin Gallery since the late 1990s, Emin was a Turner Prize finalist in 1998 for My Bed, an installation showcasing her disheveled bed covered in underwear, used condoms and other debris. Overt sexuality and the emotional dynamics of love and sex have persisted as themes throughout her career, seen across the neon artworks for which she is most famous.
YBAs have never shied from using non-traditional materials or tackling controversial subject matter. Chris Ofili, a racially charged painter who re-appropriates biblical and mythological iconography, found the spotlight in 1999 when then-New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani publicly criticized the artist’s monumental depiction of an eroticized black Madonna, entitled The Holy Virgin Mary, baring a breast composed of elephant dung and surrounded by images of female genitalia. Marc Quinn reimagined the self-portrait in 1991 by casting a frozen sculpture of his head with his own blood and maintaining it in a refrigerated vitrine as if on life-support. More recently, Quinn has elicited strong reactions from a series of studies and sculptures of supermodel Kate Moss in a contorted, god-like pose.
Below, we invite you to browse our collection of original works by Hirst, Emin, Quinn, Collishaw and other YBAs — a group that knew not only how to provoke and self-promote but to create works that continue to resonate today.
Find original Young British Artists sculptures, photography, prints and other art on 1stDibs.
Tilda Swinton (Limited Edition of 25) - Celebrity Photography
Located in New York, NY
This 1986 black and white photograph was shot by British celebrity and fashion photographer, John Stoddart, captures Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton,...
Silver Gelatin
$6,556Sale Price|20% Off
Tilda Swinton (Limited Edition of 25), 30x40 In - Celebrity Photography
Located in New York, NY
This 1986 black and white photograph was shot by British celebrity and fashion photographer, John Stoddart, captures Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton,...
Silver Gelatin
"Nettle leaf", Kirlean Photograph, electrophotography, unique piece, Botany
Located in Carballo, ES
A unique piece by renowned Irish photographer, Fred Langford Edwards, his documentary photography acts as a kind of super detailed scientist in the field of arts. His work takes plac...
Photographic Paper
$2,200
H 40 in W 32 in
Standing Ovation - conceptual vignette with red velvet curtain and marble floor
By Frank Schott
Located in San Francisco, CA
Large format photograph of conceptual vignette with dark red velvet curtain and Carrara marble floor Standing Ovation (2016) by Frank Schott 40 x 32...
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Giclée
Star Wars ( C-3PO ) 40 x 32"
Located in San Francisco, CA
Star Wars (C-3PO) by Tom Schierlitz still life photograph of the original iconic golden Star Wars humanoid robot 40 x 32 inches (102 x 81cm) edition of 25 signed 60 x 48 inches (152 x 122cm) edition of 7 signed archival fine art pigment print signed + numbered by artist on separate label Photographer Tom Schierlitz has a discerning eye for details, managing to find striking visuals in the most ordinary objects, creating captivating images of cult accessories and other objects of desire. Tom grew up in Germany and lives and works in New York City. _________________________ Edition EKTAlux offers an evolving curated selection of collectable large-scale photography in strictly limited editions, while working closely with each artist to guarantee state-of-the-art museum level print and framing quality. Custom / larger print sizes available on request Images can be printed with white border [ 2 inch L prints / 4 inch XL prints ]
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Giclée
Ted Higby at Skyline Rodeo, 1928
Located in New York, NY
Listing includes framing with UV plexiglas, free shipping and a 14 day return policy. Ted Higby at Skyline Rodeo, 1928 15 x 12 inch gelatin silver print Image Size: 14 x 8.5 inches Frame size: 22.5 x 17.5 x 2 inches Edition of 15 Lora Webb Nichols was born in 1883 and grew up in the small mining town of Encampment, Wyoming. At the age of 16 Lora received her first camera and from that moment and for the next few decades she produced work that is both stunning in its singular voice and revealing in the world it opens up for us. At first Nichols photographed her family, friends, and the landscape around Encampment, but when the town experienced a copper mining boom Nichols expanded her scope to become a photographer for hire shooting portraits and industrial photographs. When the boom collapsed, Nichols took the risk of opening her own business in Encampment - The Rocky Mountain Studio - which opened in 1925. The studio ran for ten years, accumulating 24,000 negatives that illustrate the lives and environment of the people living in and around the town while creating a distinctive and surprising body of work. If one was to attempt an analogy – Nichols’ pictures fit somewhere between Lartigue and Lange - joyful and generous while objectively intimate. In particular what seems to distinguish Nichols’ work is the way she sees the world from a female perspective. As Vince Aletti...
Silver Gelatin
Untitled Portrait
By Seydou Keïta
Located in New York, NY
Listing includes framing with UV Plexi ($900 value), free shipping, and a 14-day return policy. Seydou Keïta Untitled Portrait, 1952 - 1955 (02158) 23...
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin
La Sorbonne Librairie
By Ludwig Favre
Located in New York, NY
ABOUT THIS PIECE :French photographer Ludwig Favre continues his series on empty architectural spaces at La Sorbonne. Our curators recommend the work large...
Photographic Paper
$1,367
H 8.15 in W 10.01 in D 0.02 in
The Beatles, Office, Black and White Photography, 20, 7 x 25, 4 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With a line-up comprising John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they are regarded as the mo...
Silver Gelatin
Persephone II ( 40 x 31" / 102 x 79cm )
Located in San Francisco, CA
Persephone II by Erik Pawassar 40 x 31 inches (102 x 79cm) edition of 25 signed 62 x 48 inches (157 x 122cm) edition of 7 signed archival fine art pigment print signed & numbered...
Archival Pigment, Photographic Paper, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Giclée
Persephone I ( 40 x 31" / 102 x 79cm )
Located in San Francisco, CA
Persephone I by Erik Pawassar 40 x 31 inches (102 x 79cm) edition of 25 signed 62 x 48 inches (157 x 122cm) edition of 7 signed archival fine art pigment print signed & numb...
Archival Pigment, Photographic Paper, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Giclée
Persephone V ( 40 x 31" / 102 x 79cm )
Located in San Francisco, CA
Persephone V by Erik Pawassar 40 x 31 inches (102 x 79cm) edition of 25 signed 62 x 48 inches (157 x 122cm) edition of 7 signed archival fine art pigment print signed & numbered...
Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Archival Paper, Giclée, Archival Ink
Persephone IV ( 40 x 31" / 102 x 79cm )
Located in San Francisco, CA
Persephone IV by Erik Pawassar 40 x 31 inches (102 x 79cm) edition of 25 signed 62 x 48 inches (157 x 122cm) edition of 7 signed archival fine art pigment print signed & numbere...
Archival Pigment, Photographic Paper, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Giclée
$512
H 6.46 in W 8.47 in D 0.02 in
Marilyn Monroe (Norma Jean) as little child, ca. 1927, 16, 4 x 21, 5 cm
Located in Cologne, DE
Norma Jeane Mortenson or better known as Marilyn Monroe – iconic, beautiful and maybe the most known Hollywood Stars of the 20th century. Born and raised in Los Angeles, USA, she spe...
Silver Gelatin, Black and White
$3,700
H 62 in W 48 in
Persephone VIII Signed Giclée Print, Color Photography, 62x48 inches
Located in San Francisco, CA
Persephone VIII by Erik Pawassar 62 x 48 inches (157 x 122cm) edition of 7 signed 40 x 31 inches (102 x 79cm) edition of 25 signed archival fine art pigment print signed & nu...
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Archival Ink, Giclée
Persephone VIII ( 62 x 48" / 157 x 122cm )
Located in San Francisco, CA
Persephone VIII by Erik Pawassar 62 x 48 inches (157 x 122cm) edition of 7 signed 40 x 31 inches (102 x 79cm) edition of 25 signed archival fine art pigment print signed & numbe...
Archival Ink, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Archival Paper, Giclée
Black Glove ( Michael Jackson ) 40" x 30"
Located in San Francisco, CA
Black Glove (Michael Jackson) by Tom Schierlitz a highly detailed still life photograph of the king of pop's iconic sequin and rhinestone crystal glove ...
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment
$3,419
H 19.69 in W 29.93 in D 0.08 in
Signed Limited edition Fine art, Aesthetic photo by Ian Sanderson, Luxury Style
Located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona
' Train ' by Ian Sanderson - Talgo, Spain Signed limited edition archival pigment print, 2013 - Edition of 5 This is an Archival Pigment print on fiber based paper ( Hahnemühle P...
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Color, Giclée, Pigment, Archival Pig...
BB #3 #4 Contemporary Mixed Media
By Ant Pearce
Located in Brecon, Powys
From the artist's Brigitte Bardot series Hand and machine sewn thread on paper
Cotton, Thread, Photographic Paper
The Fag Show
By Sarah Lucas
Located in New York, NY
R-type print Signed and numbered on certificate, verso This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. A Young British Artist (YBA), Sarah Lucas...
Color