HISTORY PAINTING
Rose Wylie is best known for creating colourful, large-scale, figurative paintings that are intelligent, funny, and quietly political. These are usually made from memory and draw on a wide range of cultural references from history, fashion and cinema, to mythology, sport and literature. The thread linking these fields is her interest in how images evolve and accumulate meaning – becoming familiar, iconic and part of the narrative of popular culture and wider history.
The large-scale paintings at Newlyn Art Gallery include three recent works inspired by the Pilgrims’ voyage aboard the Mayflower, which had a final landing at Newlyn to take on fresh water before sailing to America in 1620. In the lower gallery we will present Ben Rivers’ film What Means Something (2015) which reflects on his friendship with Rose, her painting and the artistic processes they have in common.
At The Exchange, paintings inspired by celebrities and Quentin Tarantino films will hang alongside more personal memories including her experience of the Blitz during the Second World War, as well as a selection of works on paper that reveal her working process.
Rose Wylie: History Painting is a Plymouth Arts Centre and Plymouth College of Art exhibition. At Newlyn Art Gallery & The Exchange it is curated by Ben Borthwick.
Generously sponsored by Classic Cottages.
Listen to Rose Wylie in conversation with Russell Tovey, on Dialogues: The David Zwirner Podcast
EXHIBITION EVENTS
Opening Event: Fri 8 Jun, 18.00 – 20.00 at The Exchange and 19.00 – 21.00 at Newlyn Art Gallery
- 19.00 at The Exchange – introductions from Director James Green and Ben Borthwick, Artistic Director of Plymouth Arts Centre.
- Food from Little Wonder Café at Newlyn Art Gallery.
- Free entry, all welcome.
Film Screening: Tue 7 Aug, 18.00 A special screening of Tarantino’s classic Kill Bill at Newlyn Filmhouse
Curator’s Talk: Wed 12 Sep, 13.00 at St Ives Arts Club, as part of St Ives September Festival. Ben Borthwick will discuss his conversations with Rose Wylie over the last decade, combining the artist’s existing work with a new cycle of paintings made for the History Painting exhibition and how this reflects his approach to curating. £5.50
