British artist Tracey Emin gained attention with her exhibitions and art in 1998.
In 1998, the art world saw the emergence of some new British artists, including important works by Turner Prize-winner Chris Ofili and Turner Prize-finalist Tracey Emin. Also, art enthusiasts enjoyed more works by portrait artist Chuck Close as well as an important work by international artist Tyeb Mehta.
"No Woman, No Cry" by Chris Ofili
Chris Ofili's No Woman, No Cry is a tribute to murder victim Stephen Lawrence.
Chris Ofili won the Turner Art Prize, a British contemporary art award, in London, the same year he created his painting "No Woman, No Cry" as a tribute to Stephen Lawrence, a black teenager who was killed in a racially motivated crime. The painting shows a woman crying and the title comes from a song by Bob Marley. Each tear is an image of Stephen Lawrence's face. The painting is supported by two pieces of elephant dung, while another piece of dung forms the woman's pendant.
"Agnes" by Chuck Close
Artist Chuck Close is known for his large potraits, like Agnes in 1998.
Chuck Close's portrait of fellow artist Agnes Martin was created in 1998, the same year as Close's major exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. "Agnes" is typical of Close's work; it is a large potrait of her face, made up of many squares which Close paints on a grid. The painting is now part of the Doris and Donald Fisher Collection which was shown in 2010 at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Berlin Watercolors by Tracey Emin
Controversial British artist Tracey Emin had traditional watercolors in his Turner Prize exhibition in 1999.
Tracey Emin's Turner Prize exhibition in 1999 was controversial because of her inclusion of "My Bed," a disheveled bed with underwear, pill bottles and other trash surrounding it. But Emin also included a series of watercolors with the show, most of them of her face. Emin has commented that she wanted the watercolors to be part of her show because of critics who said that there were no paintings submitted for the Turner Prize.
"Kali Head" by Tyeb Mehta
Tyeb Mehta was an Indian artist who died in 2009. He produced one of his most famous paintings of Kali, the Indian goddess of destruction, in 1998. The painting depicted a green-skinned Kali with a furious face, thin arms and a round belly. Mehta's painting was the highlight of a Sotheby's auction to help build a new art museum in Kolkata, India. Kolkata is one of the sites of worship of the Hindu goddess.
