Hosted at the Tate Britain curated by Clare Barlow (who also wrote the book of the same name “Queer British Art, 1861-1967”) Queer British Art 1861-1967 showcases artworks relevant and prominent to LGBT individuals and those associated with the LGBT community. The exhibition marks the 50 year anniversary of decriminalization of male homosexuality in England, the exhibition shows a range of painters, photographers, sculptors, performance artists, etc.

The exhibition takes very personal pieces from private collections and pieces that are more widely known and are aimed at appealing/educating a wider audience. The exhibition has a very organic flow as it’s divided into different sections or rooms that explore different aspects of the struggle of homosexuality through history but the pieces all flow together to create a narrative. It takes you through different aspects of queer history, from political, playful, historical and erotic.

The exhibition seeks to educate and bring to light the internal struggles of identity that the artists would endure and also the secret features and techniques they used to subliminally portray their identity and issues. Most artists found ways of incorporating their own personal muses, the restrictions that artists faced throughout history lead them to find unique ways to express their sexuality. These certain restrictions often gave way to subcultures that can be identified within certain artists works, for example, new council on same-sex desire in Renaissance Italy meant that artists could portray same sex erotic scenes providing that the individuals did not act upon said depicted desires which allowed individuals to express and explore themselves and their own homosexuality.

Many artists within the exhibition explored the theme of androgyny, figures with a blurred gender are ever present as seen in certain works, for example, the photograph by unknown of Hetty King suggests a young male youth but upon closer inspection female attributes can be identified as well as the name being the only strong and definite suggestion of femininity. A theme and construct (gender) ever present and played with throughout the flow of the exhibition, gradually becoming more obscure and an item of play, seen through performance art which eventually develops into the common presentation of “drag”.