Gemma Rolls-Bentley – författare

'This book refreshed my perspective ... I was galvanised and reassured. Guided, taught and counselled. We make cool stuff. We always have. I’m full of thanks for it' Kae Tempest 'The most beautiful way to know ourselves better is to pick up and flick through the pages of this insightful collection of superb queer artists' Russell Tovey 'A cavalcade of queer sensibility. A long overdue gazetteer of those of us who find ourselves to be, to quote Arthur Marshall: “a little bit wonky”' Maggi Hambling 'Changing the game – champions artists and narratives that now feel firmly part of the canon' Katy Hessel A concise, accessible and global overview of modern and contemporary queer art, co-written by notable curators in the field. Queer Art is a commanding compendium of LGBTQIA+ art that highlights its ongoing resilience from the 19th century to the present day. Spanning generations and geographies, Queer Art’s carefully curated selection of practitioners paints a rich picture of LGBTQIA+ visual culture, underscoring the complexity of lived experience and cutting through the basic understanding of the subject that seeks to measure ‘queerness’ against overt homoeroticism and proven homosexuality. Queer art curators Mollie E. Barnes and Gemma Rolls-Bentley begin by exploring how resilience has shaped artistic expression, establishing the historical backdrop against which queer art has evolved. From liberation to intersectionality, reclamation to futurism, four thematic chapters unpack the key concerns of queer art as they relate to the work of artists such as Keith Haring, Bhupen Khakhar, Hélio Oiticica, Catherine Opie, Lotte Laserstein and Xiyadie. By exploring the notion of ‘queer art’ through the lens of both historical figures and contemporary practitioners, Queer Art adopts a dual focus, traversing the past and present to reflect on covert histories whilst imagining radical futures in which art not only reflects but shapes social norms.

We love and strongly recommend this beautifully curated book. Celebrating the massive and lasting global impact of LGBTQI+ artists, a book like this is long overdue! Russell Tovey & Robert Diament, co-hosts of Talk Art podcast.Celebrate the LGBTQI+ community with this vivid collection of artworks that charts queer voices from around the world.The twentieth century saw key shifts for the LGBTQI+ community across the western world: from the Stonewall uprising to the first pride parades and homosexuality law reforms. The years following these milestone moments have seen queer life face new challenges, celebrations, injustices and liberations.As ever, this journey has been closely mapped by art and culture. Artists working across all mediums – from painting, performance, digital and beyond – have captured key moments, from the HIV/AIDS crisis and the rise of drag, to marriage equality and the fight for trans liberation. The artists include:Andrew Logan, sculptor and founder of the Alternative Miss World partyLeading artists David Hockney, Nicole Eisenmann and Zanele MuholiLate greats Greer Lankton, Andy Warhol, Francis Bacon and Tom of FinlandPioneers of Queer Cinema Derek Jarman and Sir Isaac JulienGround-breaking photographers Nan Goldin, Ajamu X, Wolfgang Tilmans and Catherine OpieContemporary art stars Sin Wai Kin, Zackary Drucker and Clifford Prince KingWith nearly 200 artworks selected by leading LGBTQI+ curator Gemma Rolls-Bentley, this book mixes the high-brow with the low, gallery stalwarts with Instagram stars, and the racy with the fabulous. This is a unique celebration of queer life – a must-have for the LGBTQI+ community, art lovers and anyone interested in the culture surrounding queer identity.