For more than 50 years, British artist Phyllida Barlow took inspiration from her surroundings to create imposing installations that can be at once menacing and playful. She created 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 2011 Barlow became a Royal Academician and in 2015 she was made a CBE for her services to the arts in The Queen’s New Year Honours. In 2017, Barlow represented Great Britain at the Venice Biennale. She was made a Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in The Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2021.
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.
Born: 4 April 1944 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, United Kingdom
Died: 12 March 2023
Elected RA: 26 May 2011
Elected Senior RA: 1 October 2019
Gender: Female
Preferred media: Sculpture
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.
Welcome to Bermondsey
Studio 2
Coffee?
Scaling up
Working as a team
Opportunities knocked
Stability
"An industrial scale"
A performative process
"Space is something to be explored"
The importance of tradition
A surprise visit
Phyllida Barlow RA
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
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
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
Do you know your Kauffman from your Emin? Test your knowledge of women artists and the Royal Academy of Arts in the The Great Women Artists quiz.
Plug in your headphones, sit back and relax with one of these podcasts, transporting you into the art world from the comfort of your front room.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
As she turns her focus to a group of small sculptures, Phyllida Barlow tells us what music inspires her and why she loves Picasso.
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.
We visited Phyllida Barlow RA in her busy studio as she prepared for an installation at Tate Britain.
