Alison Jacques has announced the representation of one of Britain’s foremost sculptors Alison Wilding (b.1948 Blackburn, Lancashire, UK). Wilding is known for her mostly, but not always, abstract sculptures that embrace a wide range of materials and processes, on all scales from the handheld to the almost monumental. Drawing has also been a consistent part of the artist’s practice. Wilding’s first solo exhibition with Alison Jacques opens later this year, from 19th September until 26th October 2024.
Alison Wilding’s sculpture has challenged expectations since she first rose to prominence as part of the so-called ‘New British Sculpture’ in the 1980s. Over five decades, Wilding’s work – which is characterised by her particular manipulation of materials – continues to evolve and test boundaries. By combining both ancient and modern materials, her sculptures create conversations across time and space, producing new experiences of viewership in the present. ‘Sometimes it’s the material that feels wrong that is the correct thing to use, because it’s more interesting, or tells you something that you didn’t know before’, Alison Wilding once commented about her practice.
Wilding’s first major solo exhibition was held at the Serpentine Gallery, London (1985), followed by her first international solo show at the Museum of Modern Art, New York (1987). A survey exhibition at Tate, Liverpool (1991) preceded Wilding being twice nominated for the Turner Prize (1988 and 1992). A display at Tate Britain in the Duveen Galleries featuring five works, including a new acquisition, Vanish & Detail (2004), spanned a significant period of Wilding’s career (2013).
A monograph by Jo Applin and Briony Fer was published to coincide with Right Here and Out There, an exhibition at the De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill (2018). Wilding was elected to the RA in 1999, and was later awarded an OBE for her services to art (2014).
