Phyllida Barlow RA (b. 1944)
Phyllida Barlow RA (b. 1944)
For more than 50 years, British artist Phyllida Barlow has taken inspiration from her surroundings to create imposing installations that can be at once menacing and playful. She creates tactile, seemingly precarious sculptures that resonate with emotional intensity and the urgency of their creation. These constructions are often painted in vibrant colors and the means of their construction left visible, revealing their inexpensive, industrial materials: cardboard, fabric, plywood, polystyrene, scrim and cement.
Barlow studied at Chelsea College of Art (1960 – 1963) and the Slade School of Art (1963 – 1966). She later taught at both schools and was Professor of Fine Art and Director of Undergraduate Studies at the latter until 2009.
In February of 2019, Barlow created an entirely new exhibition in our Gabrielle Jungels-Winkler Galleries, which she conceived as her own interpretation of a residential cul-de-sac. By closing the exit door in the final room, Barlow forced the viewer to turn around and revisit each sculpture anew, from the other side. She created forests of seemingly precarious structures, exploring the full height of the gallery space with looming beams, blocks and canvases.
Profile
Born: 1944 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, United Kingdom
Elected RA: 26 May 2011
Elected Senior RA: 1 October 2019
Gender: Female
Preferred media: Sculpture
Works by Phyllida Barlow in the RA Collection
1 results
-
Digital premiere: PHYLLIDA (2019, 24 min)
Enjoy this exclusive digital premiere of the film ‘PHYLLIDA’, a documentary portrait of the artist Phyllida Barlow. Released on her birthday, this film celebrates her pioneering contribution to the field of sculpture.
‘PHYLLIDA’ is produced by Hauser & Wirth, in association with Third Channel and Peacock Pictures.
-
My studio life
![Welcome to Bermondsey]()
Welcome to Bermondsey
![Studio 2]()
Studio 2
![Coffee?]()
Coffee?
![Scaling up]()
Scaling up
![Working as a team]()
Working as a team
![Opportunities knocked]()
Opportunities knocked
![Stability]()
Stability
!["An industrial scale"]()
"An industrial scale"
![A performative process]()
A performative process
!["Space is something to be explored"]()
"Space is something to be explored"
![The importance of tradition]()
The importance of tradition
![A surprise visit]()
A surprise visit
-
My work is about drawing attention to the way the world around us frustrates and surprises us. All sorts of things happen that make me intrigued about our everyday choreography within the urban landscape.
Phyllida Barlow RA
-
Selected CV
-
Recent solo exhibitions
2019 Royal Academy of Arts, London, England
2018 Jupiter Artland, Edinburgh, Scotland
2017 British Pavilion, La Biennale di Venezia, Venice, Italy
Turner Contemporary, Margate
2016 Kunsthalle Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
2015 Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas, USA
Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh
Lokremise, St. Gallen, Switzerland
2014 Tate Britain, London
Hauser & Wirth, London
Hauser & Wirth Somerset, Somerset
2013 Des Moines Art Center, Des Moines
Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach
Contemporary Art Society, London
2012 New Museum, New York
Henry Moore Institute, Leeds
Ludwig Forum für Internationale Kunst, Aachen Hauser & Wirth, New York
2011 Hauser & Wirth, London
Kunstverein Nürnberg, Nuremberg, Germany
2010 Studio Voltaire, London
V22, London
BAWAG Contemporary, Vienna, Austria -
Selected collections
Tate, London
Henry Moore Institute, Leeds
Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh
Hessel Museum, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson
Museum Ludwig, Cologne
Ludwig Forum für Internationale Kunst, Aachen
Kunsthaus Zürich, Zürich -
Selected publications
Franzen, Brigitte (ed.), ‘Phyllida Barlow: Brink’, Cologne: Walter König, 2013
Phillips, Lisa, Carrion-Murayari, Gary [et al.], ‘Siege’, New York: New Museum, 2012
Le Feuvre, Lisa (ed.), ‘Essays on Sculpture: Bad Copies: the drawings of Phyllida Barlow’, Leeds: Henry Moore Institute, 2012
König, Kaspar, Trummer, Thomas D. (eds.), ‘Before the Law: Post-War Sculptures and Spaces of Contemporary Art’, Cologne: Museum Ludwig/Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, 2012
Munder, Heike, Trummer, Displaced Fractures. On the Break Lines of Architecture and its Bodies, Thomas D, Migros Museum für Gegenwartskunst, 2011
Phyllida Barlow and Fiona Macdonald, Phyllida Barlow and Fiona Macdonald, Coexist Publications, 2011
Christine Kintisch, Phyllida Barlow: STREET, BAWAG Contemporary, 2010
Kathryn Rattee and Melissa Larner, Nairy Bagramian & Phyllida Barlow, Serpentine Gallery and Koenig Books, 2010
Ronnie Simpson and Phyllida Barlow, Phyllida Barlow: STINT, Mead Gallery, Warwick Arts Centre, 2008
-
Related articles
-
![Phyllida Barlow]()
Artists
2 days ago
Digital premiere: watch the PHYLLIDA documentary
Enjoy this exclusive digital premiere of the film ‘PHYLLIDA’, a documentary portrait of the artist Phyllida Barlow RA. Released on her birthday, this film celebrates her pioneering contribution to the field of sculpture.
-
![Family how-to sculpture]()
Artists
11 months ago
Family how-to: make a recycled sculpture
Be inspired by the work of Phyllida Barlow RA and create a sustainable sculpture from reusable household rubbish. Build it, play around with decoration and then recycle the parts.
-
![View of the exhibition, Phyllida Barlow RA cul-de-sac]()
RA Exhibitions
1 year ago
Four things to know about Phyllida Barlow’s sculpture
As the Academician’s site-specific show opens at the RA, Jon Wood explains what we gain from the pleasures and perplexities of her works.
-
![Phyllida Barlow RA and Harrison Birtwistle]()
RA Exhibitions
> 1 year ago
“Do you destroy your work? I do” – Phyllida Barlow and Harrison Birtwistle discuss creativity
As Phyllida Barlow prepares to open a new show of work at the RA, she joins composer Harrison Birtwistle, and journalist Fiona Maddocks, to exchange ideas about creativity – from how ideas arise to when you know they’re finished, and the trauma of titling.
-
![Helene Schjerfbeck, Self-Portrait, Black Background (detail)]()
RA Exhibitions
> 1 year ago
Introducing our 2019 exhibitions at the Royal Academy of Arts
From the genius of the Renaissance to immersive new work created specially for our galleries, next year’s exhibitions promise to exhilarate and inspire. The RA’s Artistic Director, Tim Marlow, introduces our packed programme for 2019.
-
![Ten of the twelve committee members for the 2018 Summer Exhibition]()
RA Exhibitions
< 2 years ago
Behind the scenes at the 250th Summer Exhibition
What’s it like to put together the Summer Exhibition? We spoke to this year’s coordinator, Grayson Perry RA, and his band of fellow artists in charge of selecting and hanging the world’s largest open-submission art show.
-
![Palazzo Ca’ Pesaro, where David Hockney RA’s exhibition goes on display]()
Artists
< 3 years ago
Academicians to spot in Venice: Phyllida Barlow’s British pavilion and more
From David Hockney’s portraits in palazzi to Phyllida Barlow’s swollen sculptures in the British Pavilion, here’s the must-see work by Royal Academicians in this year’s biennale.
-
![Phyllida Barlow's 'folly' at the 57th International Art Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia, Viva Arte Viva]()
RA Recommends
< 3 years ago
10 to see at the 2017 Venice Biennale
Phyllida Barlow RA’s bulbous sculptures, Robert Cuoghi’s messiah machines and Damien Hirst’s demons – here are ten highlights of this year’s contemporary art spectacular.
-
![Phyllida Barlow RA, Dock, installation view]()
Artists
> 4 years ago
10 minutes with… Phyllida Barlow RA
As she turns her focus to a group of small sculptures, Phyllida Barlow tells us what music inspires her and why she loves Picasso.
-
![Olaf Breuning, Smoke installation]()
RA Recommends
< 5 years ago
Our pick of this week’s art events: 26 June – 2 July
From Jackson Pollock’s pivotal series of black pourings to the monumental sculptures of Phyllida Barlow RA, we guide you through the week’s top art events.
-
![Installation view of Charles Rennie Mackintosh at the Hunterian Museum]()
RA Recommends
> 5 years ago
Our pick of this week’s art events: 25 - 31 July
From a survey of the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh at Glasgow’s Hunterian to the last days of shows from Sean Scully RA, Phyllida Barlow RA and more.
-
![John Singer Sargent, Gassed]()
RA Recommends
> 5 years ago
Our pick of this week’s art events: 18 - 24 July
From marking the centenary of World War I at the Imperial War Museum to Salisbury Cathedral, where John Maine RA’s sculptures are set around the grounds.
-
![Gustav Matzger, Suportive]()
Opinion
< 6 years ago
Connecting 21st-century installation to 18th-century portrait sculpture in six steps
Simon Wilson investigates the six degrees of separation between Phyllida Barlow RA and Roubiliac’s portrait busts.
-
![From left: Daniel Lipp, Aimee Parrott, Brian Griffiths, Marisa J. Futernick, Ellen Macdonald and Julie Born Schwartz, Coco Crampton, Phyllida Barlow RA, Alex Clarke, Ariane Schick, Gabriel Stones, Alice Theobold, Alex Chase White (seated), Hannah Perry, P]()
RA Exhibitions
< 6 years ago
RA Schools students discuss their upcoming final show
As students from the RA Schools prepare for their final show, what are their feelings about leaving after three intensive years of study? Some of them discuss the issues they face with Schools tutor Brian Griffiths and Phyllida Barlow RA, who has been involved in art education for 45 years.
-
![Installation view, 'Phyllida Barlow. Fifty Years of Drawings', Hauser & Wirth, London, England, 2014]()
RA Recommends
< 6 years ago
Our pick of this week’s art events: 23 - 29 May
From Lucian Freud’s superb collection of Frank Auerbach works to a survey of recent American abstract art.
-
![Phyllida Barlow: dock 2014]()
Artists
6 years ago
Phyllida Barlow at Tate Britain
Phyllida Barlow RA has unleashed seven playful giants into Tate Britain’s Duveen Galleries.
-
![Phyllida Barlow RA]()
Artists
> 6 years ago
My studio life: Phyllida Barlow RA
We visited Phyllida Barlow RA in her busy studio as she prepared for an installation at Tate Britain.
-
![Phyllida Barlow RA]()
Artists
< 7 years ago
In the studio with Phyllida Barlow RA
Meet the sculptor who chooses materials for their rawness and authenticity to create her haunting art.
