Phyllida Barlow Death: Phyllida Barlow, British Sculptor, Dies at the Age of 78
by Maivizhi A
Updated Mar 14, 2023
Who is Phyllida Barlow?
Dame Phyllida Barlow, DBE, RA, a British artist, passed away on March 12, 2023. She attended Chelsea College of Art (1960–63) and the Slade School of Art (1963–66) before joining the faculty at the Slade in the late 1960s, where she taught for more than forty years. She retired from teaching in 2009 and was made an emerita professor of fine art. Barlow was a significant influence on younger generations of artists, with Rachel Whiteread and Angela de la Cruz among her students at the Slade. She represented Great Britain at the Venice Biennale in 2017. Phyllida Barlow, a renowned sculptor from Britain recognized for her massive installations, passed away at the age of 78. Prior to achieving great success, Barlow taught art for many years. Her vast sculptural projects were frequently constructed using ordinary materials like cardboard, plaster, fabric, cement, plywood, and paint. Hauser & Wirth, Barlow's art gallery, referred to her as a "beacon of inspiration and guidance" for countless individuals. Barlow is survived by her spouse, Fabian Peake, and their five children, according to the gallery's announcement.
Phyllida Barlow Cause Of Death
Dame Phylidda Barlow, a prominent figure in British art, has passed away at the age of 78. Her death was confirmed by Iwan and Manuela Wirth, and Marc Payot, co-presidents of Hauser & Wirth on Monday but her cause of death has not yet been revealed.
She was best known for her monumental sculptures crafted from inexpensive materials such as plywood, cardboard, plaster, and cement. Barlow was selected to represent Great Britain at the Venice Biennale in 2017. In a 2014 interview with The Independent, she embraced the moniker "mistress of the splodge," alluding to her preference for sculpting rounded works.
Despite negative feedback, Barlow found beauty and fascination in the disgustingness of a spill or a splodge. Her family, known as "a British art dynasty," survives her. Hauser & Wirth, where Barlow was represented, confirmed her death on 13 March. Co-president Iwan Wirth hailed her as a visionary artist, mentor, and dear friend.
Phyllida Barlow Obituary
Phyllida Barlow, who recently passed away at the age of 78, was warned by her mother against relying on her prestigious ancestry as the great-great-granddaughter of Charles Darwin. Raised in a socialist household, Barlow became self-conscious of her association with privilege when she was studying at the Chelsea College of Art in the 1960s. The sculpture folly that Barlow created for the British Pavilion at the 2017 Venice Biennale was a reflection of her rejection of her own sculptural ancestry as well as a late career highlight.
As of this writing Phyllida Barlow's obituary has not been revealed yet. It is expected that family and friends will release Phyllida Barlow's obituary that will inform us of funeral details.
Phyllida Barlow Sculptor
Her sculptures are often evanescent, made of cheap or recycled materials, and sometimes even thrown into the Thames for a one-person audience. Barlow attributes her inspiration to her grandmother, Nora Darwin, who was a botanist and geneticist. The change of millennium and the rise of environmentalism have given currency to the idea of sculptural fragility that was already present in Barlow's work. Her folly, in particular, seemed to meditate on the repeated vanities of history as it stood in a neoclassical pavilion built at the height of Britain’s imperial power. Barlow was married to Fabian Peake, the son of novelist Mervyn Peake, and raised five children, all of whom became artists in various fields.
Phyllida Barlow's participation in the Venice Biennale was not only the pinnacle of her career but also a significant development considering her age of 73 at the time. Just ten years earlier, it would have been unimaginable for her to become the Biennale's official British artist. Throughout her forty-year career, Barlow did not have a gallery and exhibited very little, which contributed to the unique quality of her art. While other British sculptors of her generation, such as Antony Gormley and Richard Deacon, created sculptures that were durable and traditional, Barlow focused on creating art that was ephemeral.
One of Barlow's early pieces, Tent, created in the 1970s in her north London basement studio, was made by throwing a canvas sheet over a wooden frame and painting it heavily. However, it was met with hostility and never exhibited. In the 1980s and 1990s, Barlow created guerrilla sculptures that were illicitly installed in north London school playgrounds, abandoned houses, and a defunct stocking factory. Some were displayed in the homes of her friends, and occasionally she would throw objects she had made into the Thames as a form of sculptural performance with only herself as the audience.
Barlow attributed the inspiration behind her art to her paternal grandmother, Nora Darwin, a botanist and geneticist who kept a beautifully organized collection of reusable materials such as brown paper, rubber bands, and old matchboxes in her understairs cupboard. Even Christmas decorations made during the war were used well into the 1950s, which were strange and rather abject pieces of cardboard with paint on them.
Regarding aesthetics, these objects were both cause for mourning and celebration. Barlow expressed that "in the fall of a monument, there is tragedy, victory, beauty, and also immense sadness." When reflecting on her own artistic creations, she pondered, "I am fond of grand sculptures; I like the feeling of my own physical presence competing with something that has no logical purpose in this world. This, in itself, is an expression of the human experience
Phyllida Barlow Cause Of Death - FAQs
Dame Phyllida Barlow DBE RA was a British artist known for her sculptural installations. She studied at Chelsea College of Art and the Slade School of Art and later taught at the Slade for more than forty years before retiring in 2009
Phyllida Barlow was best known for her monumental sculptures crafted from inexpensive materials such as plywood, cardboard, plaster, and cement. She referred to herself as the "mistress of the splodge," alluding to her preference for sculpting rounded works.
Dame Phyllida Barlow passed away on March 12, 2023, at the age of 78. Her cause of death has not been disclosed.
Phyllida Barlow was a significant influence on younger generations of artists, with Rachel Whiteread and Angela de la Cruz among her students at the Slade.
Phyllida Barlow's sculptures were often ephemeral and made of cheap or recycled materials. While other British sculptors of her generation, such as Antony Gormley and Richard Deacon, created sculptures that were durable and traditional, Barlow focused on creating art that was not meant to last.