British artist Rose Wylie (b. 1934) creates paintings and drawings that on first glance appear aesthetically simplistic, not seeming to align with any recognizable style or movement, but on closer inspection are revealed to be wittily observed and subtly sophisticated mediations on the nature of visual representation itself. The layers of newspaper that line her studio floor are a frequent source of material for the artist, as she encounters images by chance while working. Drawing from such wide-ranging cultural areas as film, fashion photography, literature, mythology, news images, sports, and individuals she meets in her day-to-day life, Wylie paints colorful and exuberant compositions that are uniquely recognizable. These works make use of an idiosyncratic visual lexicon, the directness of cartoonish figures, and a flattened perspective, but simultaneously betray a deep awareness of art history and painterly conventions. Michael Glover is a London-based poet and art critic, and poetry editor of The Tablet. He has written regularly for The Economist, Financial Times, Independent, New Statesman, and The Times. He has also been a London correspondent for ARTnews. His latest books include Great Works: Encounters with Art (2016), Hypothetical May Morning (2018), Late Days (2018), The Book of Extremities (2019), Neo Rauch (2019), and Thrust: A Spasmodic Pictorial History of the Codpiece (2019).
' She eschews art-world artiness; instead, the paintings are unaffected and joyful, and critics are captivated. ' - Harriet Baker Apollo ' In their multiple points of reference, and visual gourmandising, Wylie's paintings are a reminder of how things coexist in our mind's eye and how the memory of a place or time is never a simple, fixed thing: merely a few threads plucked in the moment from a shimmering tangle. ' - Hettie Judah Art UK ' Wylie fearlessly tackles the thorniest topics head-on, committing her thoughts and questions about politics, religion, fame, love, history, money and nature to canvas. ' - Charlotte Brook Harper's Bazaar ' While Rose Wylie's artworks on first glance appear simplistic or even naive, a closer examination reveals many fascinating details and reminds the viewer of the cartoon-like images of Philip Guston and Jean Michel Basquiat. ' - Joanne Shurvell Forbes ' Rose Wylie's painting a noun...exhibition is truly one-of-a-kind. ' - Staff Time Out Hong Kong ' Expect a riot of colourful and unruly compositions, which delight with their exuberance. ' - Staff Sassy Hong Kong