Discover the Pleasures of Ageing with Sarah Lucas
As Sarah Lucas takes a drag from her rollup cigarette in the tranquil garden of Tate Britain, she reflects on the joys of getting older. “One of the pleasures of getting old,” she says, “is that a lot of your life is done, and it’s not going to make that much of a bloody difference. That, along with the bus pass, is one of the few perks.” With a playful giggle, accompanied by the sound of a passing bin lorry, Lucas enjoys the freedom that comes with age.
However, this freedom and disregard for self-importance may not align with the message that the Tate’s PR team wants Lucas to deliver as she promotes her career retrospective show, Happy Gas. They would prefer her to discuss the scandalous and provocative artwork that made her famous, focusing on her ability to challenge societal norms and the male gaze. Pieces like her iconic 1996 Self-Portrait with Fried Eggs, depicting Lucas defiantly sitting with eggs on her chest, or her 1997 series of Bunny sculptures, playfully mocking sexual availability and female objectification. Even her earlier work, Eating a Banana (1990), which showcases her daring exploration of gender and sexuality.
But reliving her art history feels like work. Instead, let’s delve into the value of not working. Lucas grasped its importance early on. Among the golden generation of Young British Artists (YBAs) who emerged from Goldsmiths three decades ago, Lucas was always the biggest slacker.
Although she now resides in Suffolk, in the house once shared by Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears, she lacks the work ethic of her fellow artist, Maggi Hambling. Hambling dutifully paints in her studio every morning, but Lucas finds no appeal in that routine. “I couldn’t do that. Why would I want to?” she questions. Lucas recalls how her mother encouraged her to play instead of doing homework. It was this early lesson that taught her the value of time. “Time is actually the only valuable thing,” Lucas explains. “You need time to think rather than be constantly creating. That’s when inspiration strikes.”
Lucas also avoids the trappings of social media, not only because it consumes too much time but because it’s just another form of labor. She questions the worth of sharing personal information on a platform that could be exploited by those more powerful. Lucas maintains a low public profile, living quietly with her husband, composer and artist Julian Simmons, and conducting only a handful of interviews. “It’s not that I’m especially private,” she clarifies. “I’d just rather read books than engage in all of that, you know?”
At the age of 16, after years of neglecting her homework, Lucas left school, had an abortion, and embarked on a hitchhiking adventure across Europe. When she returned, she signed on for benefits and did next to nothing. While some may view this as a waste of public money and time, Lucas sees it differently. She believes it allowed young people to form bands, create art, and have the necessary time for introspection. And that, she asserts, is invaluable.
It was during her time at a play center with her mother that Lucas encountered someone who had attended art college. This interaction sparked a realization in her. “I thought, ‘I could do that.’ I’ve always made things, mostly from cheap materials.” This newfound passion led her to the London College of Printing and Goldsmiths College, where she not only continued making things but also became a prominent figure in the notorious Young British Artists movement.
At Goldsmiths, Lucas garnered attention as the tough girl from the working-class neighborhood, challenging heteronormative and patriarchal conventions prevalent in her upbringing. Later, she joined forces with Tracey Emin, forming a dynamic duo that embodied bold femininity, embracing sexuality while confronting misogyny. “We were only together for about six months,” she mentions, slightly exasperated when asked about her current relationship with Emin. “But I suppose that was a long time back then.” During their partnership, they opened a shop on Bethnal Green Road, selling various items adorned with provocative slogans. With Sarah and Tracey, art and entrepreneurship merged seamlessly, culminating in the infamous “exit through the gift shop” concept.
Lucas emphasizes that she owes her artistic career to more favorable circumstances. She highlights the grants that enabled her to attend college, acknowledging that relying on loans would have deterred children from working-class backgrounds. “Maybe it’s meant to be,” she ponders.
In the catalogue for her exhibition, Happy Gas, an essay by Lauren Elkin draws parallels between Lucas and French writer Georges Perec, who urged audiences to closely observe everyday objects to uncover the hidden influences governing our lives. Lucas questions the significance of bananas, toilets, newspapers, and, in this case, marrows. At Tate Britain, two oversized marrows named Florian and Kevin provide a striking visual, attracting birds to settle on them. This artwork embodies the essence of Lucas’s creations – everyday objects transformed into open texts, open to various interpretations.
Her marrows may be viewed as pop art imitations of oversized vegetables found in horticultural shows or as erect responses to the flaccidity depicted in Manet’s asparagus. Ultimately, they represent phallic figures that engage in a dialogue with Lucas’s other sculptures, including plaster casts of her husband’s penis. Inside the gallery, her wallpaper designs, such as Tits in Space, featuring disembodied breasts created using carefully sculpted Marlboro Lights, will adorn the walls.
So, rather than focusing solely on Lucas’s scandalous past or promoting the Lucas brand, let’s take a moment to appreciate the untethered creativity and unique perspectives that age brings. Lucas’s journey, rooted in her refusal to conform to societal expectations and her embrace of idleness, serves as a reminder that time to think and reflect is essential for artistic inspiration and personal growth.
Source: The Guardian
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