Queer Art (Art Essentials)

By: Mollie E. Barnes, Gemma Rolls Bentley

Published by Thames & Hudson, 2026-06-16

Queer Art is a definitive compendium of LGBTQ+ artwork, highlighting the expansion and endurance of queer aesthetics within modern and contemporary art. Intergenerational and globally represented, its Mollie E. Barnes, Gemma Rolls-Bentley thoughtfully curated selection of practitioners paints a rich picture of queer visual culture, underscoring the complexity of lived experience, and cutting through basic understandings of the subject that locate "queerness" in overt homoeroticism and proven identity.

LGBTQ+ 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 selfhood to love, history to futurism, thematic chapters unpack the key concerns of queer art as they relate to the work of artists such as Keith Haring, Bhupen Khakhar, Lotte Laserstein, Hélio Oiticica, Catherine Opie, and Xiyadie. By exploring the notion of "queer art" through the lens of both historical figures and contemporary, working artists, the book adopts a dual focus, traversing the past and present to reflect on covert histories while imagining radical futures in which art not only reflects but redefines social norms.