Jubilee (2012) – The George Building’s bold welcome
If you have entered the reception area of The George Building on campus, you will be familiar with the concrete cast pair of thigh high boots by artist Sarah Lucas, Jubilee (2012).
Jubilee is a classic reflection of Lucas’ work; sexy, sometimes shocking and always with a touch of humour.
Born in 1962, Lucas’ work was first shown in the 1988 group exhibition Freeze along with other notable artists Angus Fairhurst and Damien Hirst.
Like her contemporaries, Lucas’ work often disrupts our classic expectations of art with novel techniques and subject matters (her 2000 solo exhibition saw her using both cigarettes and neon tubes as materials).
Unlike her male contemporaries however, her work frequently examines traditional gender rules, the female body, challenging the male gaze.
A 7ft high version of Jubilee was created some years later and exhibited at Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco alongside the more tradition work of Rodin. The pieces from both artists tackled the age-old of themes of sex and death from different gender and periods, further showcasing Lucas’ contemporary style.
With her work featuring in the likes of the Royal Academy, Tate Britain, Whitechapel Gallery, she is a staple in British modern art and we are thrilled to have a little piece of it welcoming guests to The George Building.