British Art Network Seminar – Queer British Art (2017)

Coinciding with Tate Britain’s exhibitions Queer British Art 1861-1967 (5 April – 1 October 2017) and David Hockney (9 February – 29 May 2017), the Tate-led British Art Network held a seminar at the gallery on 10 April 2017. The event was organised by Dr Clare Barlow (Assistant Curator British Art 1750–1830, Tate, and curator of Queer British Art) and chaired by Dr Andrew Stephenson (University of East London). 

The seminar brought together contributions from artists, art historians and curators to investigate museological challenges and sensitivities involved in putting on an exhibition of this kind and to explore these with the audience. The seminar included a series of short papers, provocations and breakout sessions followed by a panel discussion as well as the opportunity to visit the exhibitions.

Professor Jason Edwards (University of York) gave a paper on ‘The Homosexual Was Always a Species, or When Vegan Theory Cruises Queer Theory’.

Other speakers were: Dr Clare Barlow; Dr Caroline Gonda (University of Cambridge); Professor Jonathan Katz (University at Buffalo); and artist Matt Smith.

Simeon Solomon, Sappho and Erinna in a Garden at Mytilene (1864), watercolour on paper, Tate (bit.ly/2HCGPH9). Photo ©Tate, reproduced under licence CC-BY-NC-ND 3.0 (Unported) (bit.ly/2aEuT7v)