Curl

Location

Country: USA
City: Washington DC
Place: British Embassy

'Curl' by Fiona Rae presents a maelstrom of optical effects, like the visual equivalent of sampled music or a series of rapidly edited film clips. The apparently chaotic black and white sweeps of paint which cover the surface of the canvas are peppered with brightly coloured discs, which have been compared to vinyl records, liquorice sweets, and planets. Rae often resists any attempt to interpret her works as depictions of recognisable subjects, and 'Curl' is no exception. She studied at Goldsmiths College in London and is one of a number of artists whose work made a great impact on British contemporary art in the 1990s.

Fiona Rae was born in Hong Kong and moved to England in 1970. She studied at Croydon College of Art (1983-84) and at Goldsmiths’ College, London (1984-87). After graduating from Goldsmith’s, she participated in Damien Hirst’s now famous ‘Freeze’ exhibition, held in a Docklands warehouse (1988). Rae was shortlisted for the Turner Prize in 1991, since when she has exhibited her work internationally including the touring show, ‘Sensation: Young British Artists from the Saatchi Collection’ (1997-2000) and solo shows in London, Paris and New York. Rae was elected as a Royal Academician in 2002 and acted as a Tate Trustee from 2005-2009. She lives and works in London.

Places

Subjects

circle, abstract

Materials & Techniques

acrylic (paint), canvas, oil, oil painting

Artist

Fiona Rae (1963 - )

Title

Curl

Date

1997-1998

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

height: 153.00 cm, width: 128.50 cm, depth: 5.00 cm

Acquisition

Purchased from Waddington Galleries, March 1998

Inscription

VERSO TL: Fiona Rae TR: Curl 1997 - 1998 TOP OF STRETCHER BAR: B30585

Provenance

Waddington Galleries

GAC number

17307