Richard Wilson (sculptor)
Encyclopedia
Richard Wilson is a sculptor, installation artist and musician.
Born in Islington
, in London
, he studied at the London College of Printing, Hornsey College of Art
and Reading University. He was the DAAD
resident in Berlin in 1992, Maeda Visiting Artist at the Architectural Association in 1998 and nominated for the Turner Prize in both 1988 (when Tony Cragg
won) and 1989 (when Richard Long
won).
Richard Wilson's first solo show was 11 Pieces and was given at the Coracle Press Gallery in London, UK in 1976 and since then has had 50 exhibitions around the world.
He formed the Bow Gamelan Ensemble
in 1983 with Anne Bean
and Paul Burwell
.
Wilson's work is characterised by architectural concerns with volume, illusionary spaces and auditory perception. His most famous work "20:50", a room of specific proportions, half filled with highly reflective used sump oil creating an illusion of the room turned upside down was first exhibited at Matt's Gallery
, London in 1987, became one of the signature pieces of the Saatchi Gallery
. It is considered to be a defining work in the genre of site-specific installation art
. The same year the temporary (May–June) installation One Piece at a Time filled the south tower of the Tyne Bridge
at Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
In the 1990s and 21st century, Wilson has continued to work on a large scale to fulfil his ambitions to "tweak or undo or change the interiors of space... in that way unsettle or break peoples preconceptions of space, what they think space might be", including an installation near London's Millennium Dome
called "A Slice of Reality
" in 2000. It consisted of a portion (15%) of a ship being sliced off from the rest and mounted on the river bed. In 2007 Wilson installed "Turning the Place Over" in a building in Liverpool’s city centre. Described by Liverpool Biennial
organisers as his "most radical intervention into architecture to date", Wilson cut an 8-metre diameter disc from the walls and windows of the building, and attached it to a motor which literally turns this section of the building inside out, in a cycle lasting just over two minutes. Wilson's latest work, a major architectural intervention, Square the Block has been installed on the northwest exterior of LSE's New Academic Building at the corner of Kingsway and Sardinia Street. Commissioned by London School of Economics
and curated by the Contemporary Art Society, Square the Block is a spectacular outdoor sculpture that both mimics and subtly subverts the existing façade of the building.
He is presently (2007) a visiting tutor at the University of East London
's School of Architecture and the Visual Arts, and in November 2010 was conferred with an Honoary Doctorate by the university.
Born in Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
, in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, he studied at the London College of Printing, Hornsey College of Art
Hornsey College of Art
Hornsey College of Art is a former college centred in Crouch End, London, England. Since 2008, the building has been a part of Coleridge Primary School, upon its expansion to four form entry...
and Reading University. He was the DAAD
German Academic Exchange Service
The German Academic Exchange Service or DAAD is the largest German support organisation in the field of international academic co-operation....
resident in Berlin in 1992, Maeda Visiting Artist at the Architectural Association in 1998 and nominated for the Turner Prize in both 1988 (when Tony Cragg
Tony Cragg
Tony Cragg is a British visual artist specialized in sculpture. He is currently the director of the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf.-Early life:Cragg was born in Liverpool in 1949...
won) and 1989 (when Richard Long
Richard Long (artist)
Richard Long is an English sculptor, photographer and painter, one of the best known British land artists. Long is the only artist to be shortlisted for the Turner Prize four times, and he is reputed to have refused the prize in 1984...
won).
Richard Wilson's first solo show was 11 Pieces and was given at the Coracle Press Gallery in London, UK in 1976 and since then has had 50 exhibitions around the world.
He formed the Bow Gamelan Ensemble
Bow Gamelan Ensemble
The Bow Gamelan Ensemble were a group of musicians in Bow, London, England, who used elements of gamelan music. Formed in 1983 by Richard Wilson with Paul Burwell and Anne Bean, the group was disbanded in 1990. The ensemble created a theatrical experience, going beyond the normal definitions of...
in 1983 with Anne Bean
Anne Bean
Anne Bean is an internationally-known installation and performance artist whose work is managed by Artsadmin.-Life:She is resident in the UK...
and Paul Burwell
Paul Burwell
Paul Dean Burwell was a British thaumaturge and percussionist, influential in the fields of free improvisation and experimental art....
.
Wilson's work is characterised by architectural concerns with volume, illusionary spaces and auditory perception. His most famous work "20:50", a room of specific proportions, half filled with highly reflective used sump oil creating an illusion of the room turned upside down was first exhibited at Matt's Gallery
Matt's Gallery
Matt's Gallery is a contemporary art space situated on Copperfield Road in Bow, east London. Director, Robin Klassnik, opened the gallery in his studio in 1979 on Martello Street, before moving premises to Bow in 1993. The gallery is named after Klassnik’s dog, Matt E...
, London in 1987, became one of the signature pieces of the Saatchi Gallery
Saatchi Gallery
The Saatchi Gallery is a London gallery for contemporary art, opened by Charles Saatchi in 1985 in order to exhibit his collection to the public. It has occupied different premises, first in North London, then the South Bank by the River Thames and currently in Chelsea. Saatchi's collection, and...
. It is considered to be a defining work in the genre of site-specific installation art
Installation art
Installation art describes an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called Land art; however, the boundaries between...
. The same year the temporary (May–June) installation One Piece at a Time filled the south tower of the Tyne Bridge
Tyne Bridge
The Tyne Bridge is a through arch bridge over the River Tyne in North East England, linking Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead. It was designed by the engineering firm Mott, Hay and Anderson, who later designed the Forth Road Bridge, and was built by Dorman Long and Co. of Middlesbrough. At the time...
at Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
In the 1990s and 21st century, Wilson has continued to work on a large scale to fulfil his ambitions to "tweak or undo or change the interiors of space... in that way unsettle or break peoples preconceptions of space, what they think space might be", including an installation near London's Millennium Dome
Millennium Dome
The Millennium Dome, colloquially referred to simply as The Dome or even The O2 Arena, is the original name of a large dome-shaped building, originally used to house the Millennium Experience, a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millennium...
called "A Slice of Reality
A Slice of Reality
A Slice of Reality is a work of modern art by Richard Wilson sitting by the Millennium Dome on the north-western bank of the Greenwich Peninsula. It consists of a sliced vertical section through a former sand dredger and exposes portions of the former living quarters of the vessel to the elements ....
" in 2000. It consisted of a portion (15%) of a ship being sliced off from the rest and mounted on the river bed. In 2007 Wilson installed "Turning the Place Over" in a building in Liverpool’s city centre. Described by Liverpool Biennial
Liverpool Biennial
Liverpool Biennial is a British international festival of contemporary art held in Liverpool. The festival comprises the International Exhibition, the John Moores Painting Prize, the Bloomberg New Contemporaries Exhibition and the Independents Biennial....
organisers as his "most radical intervention into architecture to date", Wilson cut an 8-metre diameter disc from the walls and windows of the building, and attached it to a motor which literally turns this section of the building inside out, in a cycle lasting just over two minutes. Wilson's latest work, a major architectural intervention, Square the Block has been installed on the northwest exterior of LSE's New Academic Building at the corner of Kingsway and Sardinia Street. Commissioned by London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
and curated by the Contemporary Art Society, Square the Block is a spectacular outdoor sculpture that both mimics and subtly subverts the existing façade of the building.
He is presently (2007) a visiting tutor at the University of East London
University of East London
The University of East London is a university located in the London Borough of Newham, East London, England, based at two campuses in Stratford and Docklands areas...
's School of Architecture and the Visual Arts, and in November 2010 was conferred with an Honoary Doctorate by the university.
External links
- Richard Wilson at sculpture.org.uk
- Profile of Wilson on VHS video tape
- "Slice of Reality" at http://www.memoryscape.org.uk/
- Biography at British Council
- Information about Wilson, with images of 20:50 and other work
- Interview with Wilson from 1998
- "Turning the Place Over" at Liverpool Biennial website