Grassroots Artmaking: Political Struggle and Activist Art in the UK 1960-Present, co-edited by Amy Tobin, Maryam Ohadi-Hamadani and Catherine Spencer has just been published by Bloomsbury.
Grassroots Artmaking is a pioneering, open-access historical survey that compiles diverse studies, artist interviews, case studies, and roundtable discussions to explore how UK-based art activism has moulded contemporary art over six decades. Addressing political turmoil in the UK since the 1960s, marked by racist immigration laws, far-right ascent, nuclear proliferation, gender oppression and Thatcher's governance, this timely book traces the evolution of grassroots artistic self-organization as a means of resistance. From artist-led initiatives like the Caribbean Artists Movement and the Blk Arts Group, to AIDS activist visual production and community photography initiatives, it showcases a vital strand of British art history beyond mainstream institutions and geographic centres.
