Phyllida Barlow: 50 years of drawing

Inside Phyllida Barlow’s abundant archive of drawings, from her days as an art student to her later works.

Reproducing over 200 works on paper spanning 50 years, from 1963 to 2013, this publication presents a crucial part of British sculptor Phyllida Barlow’s (1944–2023) oeuvre. Although Barlow destroyed many of her sculptures during her career, she amassed a prolific archive of drawings dating back to the 1960s, when she was a student at Chelsea College of Art in London. While these works on paper range in style, they demonstrate a consistency in color and form and in their exploration of ideas related to structures, architectural interiors and urban surroundings. In an interview with Hans Ulrich Obrist, Barlow provides insight into these drawings that were not preparations but, rather, daily exercises done before, during and after the creation of her sculptures. Originally published in 2014, this new edition includes an updated biography chronicling Barlow’s final years.