Phyllida Barlow obituary (79 yo)
Biography
Phyllida Barlow, a British artist who created playful and vibrant sculptures that provided commentary on industrial society, passed away in London at the age of 78. Barlow's sculptures used everyday materials like cardboard, plaster, and wood, and explored perceptions of space and scale. Her 2012 exhibition "Siege" at the New Museum in New York featured gray, arch-shaped structures made of cement and plastic foam, surrounded by sculptures of crumpled black garbage bags, crushed boxes, and ribbons. Barlow found inspiration in abandoned industrial objects, and her work was a reflection on a society of spectacle and waste. She studied at the Slade School of Fine Art and rebelled against the restrictiveness of the sculptural tradition and the sexism she encountered. Her works made the art world safer for younger women to assert their imaginations.