Phyllida Barlow (British, 1944–2023) created PRANK, a new series of seven steel and fiberglass sculptures, for City Hall Park. Barlow based each sculpture on a familiar object that might be found at home or in an artist’s studio. The objects have been rotated, repeated, and stacked to create awkward, improbable structures. An oddly irregular white form first used by the artist in 1994, known as “rabbit ears,” appears on each angular steel assemblage.
PRANK was completed before Barlow’s untimely death in March 2023, and marks an important step as her first exhibition made with robust outdoor materials. At the same time, it returns to several longstanding themes and motifs. Variants of the comical “rabbit ears” defy gravity to scale stairs, grasp edges, and balance atop eccentric structures, as if performing. The title of each sculpture is a single evocative word: antic, hoax, jape, jinx, mimic, stunt, and truant. Together, they suggest an interest in the creative potential of disruption and rule breaking, a hallmark of Barlow’s art. Against such traditional sculptural values as balance, proportion, symmetry, and gravitas, her work offers absurdity, exuberance, vulnerability, and humor. In doing so, PRANK takes on the scale, materials and legacy of monumental outdoor sculpture and redefines it in Barlow’s own, indelibly human terms.
Phyllida Barlow: PRANK is curated by Public Art Fund Artistic & Executive Director Nicholas Baume with initial development by former Public Art Fund Curator Daniel S. Palmer.
About the Artist
Phyllida Barlow (1944–2023, Newcastle, England) lived and worked in London. Influenced by the early 1960s New Generation Sculpture exhibitions at Whitechapel Gallery in London, Barlow began experimenting early in her career with the sculptural potential of materials unassociated with traditional sculpture. Prior to receiving exhibitions in major museums and galleries, Barlow utilized public and temporary spaces to show her work, developing her exploration of physical space and challenging conventional notions of where sculpture could exist. For forty years, Barlow also worked as a teacher, fostering some of Britain’s most distinguished artists. Since 2009, she worked exclusively on her art practice and exhibited her work widely in the United Kingdom and internationally.
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. Major awards include receiving the Aachen Art Prize (2012) and being named a Royal Academician (2011). She has had major exhibitions at Royal Academy of the Arts, London, England (2019); Jupiter Artland, Edinburgh, Scotland (2018); Turner Contemporary, Margate, England (2017); Venice Biennale, Italy (2013, 2017); Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas, Texas (2015); Tate Britain, London, England (2014); and New Museum, New York (2012), among others. She was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honors in 2021.
Installation Photos
Planning Phase Sketches and Paintings
Location
Phyllida Barlow (británica, 1944–2023) creó PRANK, una nueva serie de siete esculturas de acero y fibra de vidrio, para City Hall Park. Barlow basó cada una de ellas en un objeto común que podría encontrarse en la casa o estudio de algún artista, para luego rotarlas, repetirlas y apilarlas creando estructuras extrañas e improbables. En cada uno de estos ensamblajes angulares de acero aparece una forma blanca, particularmente irregular, conocida como “orejas de conejo” que la artista utilizó por primera vez en 1994.
Barlow completó PRANK antes de su muerte prematura en marzo de 2023 y la serie marca un paso importante pues es su primera exposición hecha con materiales resistentes a exteriores. Al mismo tiempo, retoma temas y motivos añejos. Las variantes de sus cómicas “orejas de conejo” desafían la gravedad para subir escaleras, agarrar bordes y mantener el equilibrio sobre estructuras excéntricas, como si estuvieran actuando. Cada escultura lleva por título una sola palabra sugerente: antic (grotesco), hoax (engaño), jape (broma), jinx (maldición), mimic (mímica), stunt (truco) y truant (truhan). Juntas sugieren un interés en el potencial creativo de la disrupción y la transgresión, un sello distintivo del arte de Barlow. Frente a valores escultóricos tradicionales como el equilibrio, la proporción, la simetría y la seriedad, su obra ofrece absurdo, exuberancia, vulnerabilidad y humor. Al hacerlo, PRANK toma la escala, los materiales y el legado de la escultura monumental al aire libre para redefinirla en los términos indeleblemente humanos de Barlow.
Phyllida Barlow: PRANK está curada por Nicholas Baume, director artístico y ejecutivo de Public Art Fund, con el desarrollo inicial del ex-curador de Public Art Fund, Daniel S. Palmer.
Acerca de la Artista
Phyllida Barlow (1944–2023, Newcastle, Inglaterra) vivió y trabajó en Londres. Influenciada por las exposiciones de New Generation Sculpture de principios de la década de 1960 en la Whitechapel Gallery de Londres, Barlow comenzó a experimentar al principio de su carrera con el potencial escultórico de materiales tradicionalmente no asociados con la escultura. Antes de recibir exposiciones en importantes museos y galerías, Barlow utilizó espacios públicos y temporales para exhibir su trabajo, desarrollando una exploración del espacio físico y desafiando las nociones convencionales de dónde podría existir la escultura. Durante cuarenta años, Barlow también trabajó como profesora, impulsando a algunos de los artistas más destacados de Gran Bretaña. Desde 2009, trabajó exclusivamente en su práctica artística y exhibió su trabajo ampliamente en el Reino Unido e internacionalmente.
Barlow estudió en el Chelsea College of Art (1960-1963) y en la Slade School of Art (1963-1966). Más tarde impartió clases en ambas escuelas y fue profesora de Bellas Artes y directora de estudios de pregrado en esta última hasta 2009. Sus importantes reconocimientos incluyen el Premio de Arte de Aachen (2012) y el nombramiento de Royal Academician (2011). Ha realizado importantes exposiciones en la Royal Academy of the Arts, Londres, Inglaterra (2019); Jupiter Artland, Edimburgo, Escocia (2018); Turner Contemporary, Margate, Inglaterra (2017); Bienal de Venecia, Italia (2013, 2017); Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas, Texas (2015); Tate Britain, Londres, Inglaterra (2014); y New Museum, Nueva York (2012), entre otras. Fue reconocida con el nombramiento de Dama Comandante de la Orden del Imperio Británico durante los Honores del Cumpleaños de la Reina en 2021.
Imágenes de la Instalación
Bocetos y pinturas de la fase de planificación
Ubicación
Leadership support for PRANK is provided by Ellen & Andrew Celli; Jennifer Sykes Harris; Hauser & Wirth; Andrea Krantz & Harvey Sawikin; Elizabeth Fearon Pepperman & Richard C. Pepperman II; Allison & Paul Russo; and Karen & Sam Seymour with major support from the Bronzini Vender Family and Linda Lennon & Stuart Baskin. Additional support is provided by Linda Genereux and Timur Galen.
This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Special thanks to the Office of the Mayor, Office of the Manhattan Borough President, NYC Parks’ Art in the Parks program, and our engineering partner Silman.
Public Art Fund is supported by the generosity of individuals, corporations, and private foundations including lead support from Bloomberg Philanthropies, along with major support from Abrams Foundation, the Charina Endowment Fund, The Cowles Charitable Trust, the Joseph and Joan Cullman Foundation for the Arts, The Fuhrman Family Foundation, The Marc Haas Foundation, Hartfield Foundation, William Talbott Hillman Foundation- Affirmation Arts Fund, the Donald A. Pels Charitable Trust, Red Crane Foundation, The Silverweed Foundation, and Wagner Foundation.
Public Art Fund exhibitions and programs are also supported in part with public funds from government agencies, including the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
