Best known for her colossal sculptural projects, for over five decades Phyllida Barlow has employed a distinctive vocabulary of inexpensive materials such as plywood, cardboard, plaster, cement, fabric and paint to create striking sculptures and bold and expansive installations that confront the relationship between objects and the space that surrounds them. Drawing on memories of familiar objects from her surroundings, Barlow’s practice is grounded in an anti-monumental tradition characterised by her physical experience of handling materials in an expedient and direct way.

Phyllida Barlow said:

“It is an extraordinary privilege and honour to be invited to represent Britain at the Venice Biennale 2017. I am astonished, thrilled and, of course, hugely excited. It is going to be a remarkable experience to begin to consider the work for the imposing architecture of the British pavilion. I cannot imagine a more invigorating and wonderful challenge. The international diversity for which the Biennale is so renowned within the particular context of Venice is a unique and stimulating creative opportunity beyond my wildest dreams.”

Emma Dexter, British Council Director, Visual Arts and Chair of the Venice Biennale

Installation view, ‘tryst’, Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas TX, 2015

Photo: Kevin Todora

http://www.hauserwirth.com/

Phyllida Barlow  Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, 1944

Studied at Chelsea College of Art, London, England, 1960 – 1963
Studied at Slade School of Fine Art, London, England, 1963 – 1966

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About the British Council
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create friendly knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and other countries. Using the UK’s cultural resources we make a positive contribution to the countries we work with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust.
We work with over 100 countries across the world in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society. Each year we reach over 20 million people face-to-face and more than 500 million people online, via broadcasts and publications.
Founded in 1934, we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body. The majority of our income is raised delivering a range of projects and contracts in English teaching and examinations, education and development contracts and from partnerships with public and private organisations. Eighteen per cent of our funding is received from the UK government.

The British Council has commissioned artists to represent Britain at the Venice Biennale to celebrate the best of emerging and established British art since 1938.  Artists representing Britain  have included  Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Francis Bacon,  Lucian Freud, Ben Nicholson,  Anthony Caro, Bridget Riley, Richard Long,  Frank Auerbach, Howard Hodgkin,   Barry Flanagan,  Anish Kapoor, Richard Hamilton, Rachel Whiteread,  Leon Kossoff, Gary Hume,  Mark Wallinger, Gilbert & George, Tracey Emin, Steve McQueen, Mike Nelson Jeremy Deller and most recently Sarah Lucas in 2015.

The British Council appoints a committee of leading arts professionals from across the UK to select the British representation for the Venice Biennale every two years.

www.britishcouncil.org/visualarts