Young British Artists

A label applied to a loose group of British artists who began to exhibit together in 1988, and who became known for their openness to materials and processes, shock tactics, and entrepreneurial attitude. Many of the Young British Artists (YBAs) studied at Goldsmiths College of Art in London, where an interdisciplinary approach to art making and teaching helped to foster experimentation and new forms of creativity. In 1988, while still a student at Goldsmiths, Damien Hirst organized Freeze, an exhibition of his own and his fellow students’ work, which is said to have introduced the YBAs to the public. Although certain broad formal and thematic trends may be seen in YBA art, there is no single, unified style or approach.