Alison Wilding

Alison Mary Wilding OBE, RA (born 7 July 1948)

Life

Wilding was born in Blackburn, Lancashire. Between 1966 and 1967 she studied at the Nottingham College of Art, then at the Ravensbourne College of Art and Design in Chislehurst from 1967 to 1970 and, from 1970 to 1973, the Royal College of Art in London. Her artistic career gained momentum in the 1980s when she was part of a group of sculptors including Anthony Gormley and Richard Deacon. and has been represented by Karsten Schubert for over 30 years.

Career and work

Alison Wilding, Untitled (Angry Drawing IV), 1988, charcoal, oil crayon and gouache on paper, 420 × 593 mmWilding's interest in sculpture was established during her time at the Nottingham College of Art. Wilding's work typically includes two opposing materials purposed with representing positive and negative forces, creating a balance within the art. She maintains that she is conscious of waste and does not like to produce work that will not be displayed. She also takes a strictly non-political approach to her work, claiming; 'I don’t think art is going to change anyone’s life, not in the way film can do'. She was subsequently exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1987. Her only large-scale public artwork "Ambit" was installed in the River Wear at Sunderland in 1999, taking the form of a necklace of stainless-steel tubes floating in the river, and lit up from underwater at night. It was subsequently exhibited in the Manchester Ship Canal. It was scrapped in 2014.

Wilding won a Paul Hamlyn award in 2008. In the same year she won the Charles Wollaston Award presented by the Royal Academy for the most distinguished work in their summer exhibition. Tracking, Karsten Schubert, London, UK (2008) Alison Wilding: Art School Drawings from the 1960s and 70s , published by Ridinghouse to coincide with her exhibition of the same title at Karsten Schubert, London (9 June – 29 July 2011). Karsten Schubert is the artist's main agent. Alison Wilding: Tracking , featuring essays by Judy Collins, Sam Porritt and Rod Mengham. Published by Ridinghouse.