Dimensions: unconfirmed: 637 x 897 mm
Copyright: © Phyllida Barlow | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: So, this is an untitled work by Phyllida Barlow, and it looks like it's probably gouache or something similar on paper. It gives me a feeling of playful precariousness – like a wobbly structure on the verge of collapse. What do you make of it? Curator: Oh, "playful precariousness," I love that! Barlow's work often has this fantastic tension. To me, the rough, almost clumsy application of paint is key. It's as if she’s building and destroying simultaneously, inviting us to question the very nature of stability and monumentality, don't you think? Editor: That's a great way to look at it. I was so focused on the image itself, I didn't consider the *process* of making it. Curator: Exactly! It reminds us that art isn't just about the finished product, but also the journey, the struggle, and the sheer joy of creation. Editor: This makes me want to see it in person! Thanks!
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Drawing is important in Barlow’s practice, and central to an understanding of her sculptural work. These drawings span a period of more than twenty years. They embody the same ambiguous nature as Barlow’s sculptures and represent the range of her sculptural vocabulary, which includes racks, arenas, greengrocer’s crates, crumpled canvases, strange furniture wrapped around with soft materials, and the layering, accumulation and juxtaposition of ambiguous objects and shapes. Made with thick, gestural brushstrokes, the drawings retain spontaneity of feeling and vitality. Across the group, similar marks are repeated and developed, suggesting solid forms and hinting at familiar shapes. Gallery label, October 2013
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