ARTIST

Drawing from such wide-ranging cultural arenas as film, fashion photography, literature, mythology, history, news images, and sports, British artist Rose Wylie (b. 1934) paints colorful and exuberant compositions that are uniquely recognizable. Frequently using images as a prompt, the artist works primarily from memory, resulting in paintings and drawings that are replete with associative afterimages that remain only loosely tethered to their original referents, but tightly connected to the memories as they have developed over time.

In this respect, drawing is an important aspect of Wylie's practice—once she has selected an image or a topic, she typically makes numerous drawings on that theme as a kind of mnemonic exercise from which her paintings eventually emerge. While some of her works on paper are spontaneous responses, others contain a single image repeated endlessly, while others still are more fully realized. Through this sustained process, Wylie's paintings are imbued with a sense of homage and reverence—whether aesthetic or personal—towards her subject matter.

The present work belongs to a group of unique, hand-finished prints relating to Wylie's Clothes I Wore, an unpublished collection of drawings and collages depicting memorable garments from the artist's own wardrobe, along with drawings of objects from her personal life: for example, Victorian spoons, or her cat Pete. On top of each pigment print, Wylie has added to and embellished different aspects of the composition, sometimes introducing new elements, resulting in distinct compositions that together underscore the importance of memory—as both a fixed and a shifting concept—within her practice.

CHARITY

Ambitious About Autism is the national charity for children and young people with autism. They provide education and employment services, raise awareness and understanding and campaign for change. Through Ambitious College, TreeHouse School and The Rise School, they offer specialist education and support. 

Their vision is a world where the ordinary is the everyday experience of children and young people with autism and their mission is to make the ordinary possible for children and young people with autism.