Guru Saatchi turns from Britart to topical US works

LONDON, Oct 5 (Reuters) Leading collector Charles Saatchi championed Britart in the 1990s, catapulting unknown artists to superstardom and earning millions of dollars in the process.

Now the publicity-shy art guru is turning his attention to a new movement of bright young painters, photographers and sculptors working in the United States who tackle issues such as politics, racism, the environment and homosexuality.

An exhibition called ''USA Today'' that showcases his new passion opens in London on October 6 at the Royal Academy of Arts, the same venue where his British-centric ''Sensation'' show wowed the art world in 1997.

''Now that generation of the so-called 'YBAs' (Young British artists) are what I call the 'MABAs', the 'middle-aged British artists','' said Norman Rosenthal, a friend of Saatchi's and co-curator of the show.

''Art moves on and that's always been the case,'' he told Reuters at a preview of ''USA Today''.

While the 40 artists featured in the show are based in the US, they come from countries including Kenya, Pakistan, China, Germany and Poland.

''I think that's one of the interesting things about the world today,'' Rosenthal said. ''It's not about where you come from, but it is about the environment in which you live and in which you are making art.

''All of them are reacting in different ways to (President) George Bush's America.'' SOCIAL, POLITICAL PICTURES MORE REUTERS PB VC1536