Los Angeles, South

Visitors are encouraged to walk around and under, and look up and over the sculptures. Such interaction is a critical element of Barlow’s work, typical of her longtime exploration of the ways in which sculpture can open the mind to different realms of experience by summoning the body forward.

At the center of South Gallery, Barlow positions a sculptural structure reminiscent of a stage – a proscenium for the other surrounding sculptures. Though comprised of cement, this work is delicate, prohibiting visitors from traversing its seemingly reliable surface. A nearby jumble of stilts supports two staircase-like forms, holding them in a state of entropy. Nearby, a cluster of poles and draped scrim induces a sense of hazard, but beckons visitors beneath its wooden posts and skirt of vibrantly painted fabric.

For more than 50 years, British artist Phyllida Barlow has taken inspiration from her surroundings to create imposing installations that can be at once menacing and playful. She creates anti-monumental sculptures from inexpensive, low-grade materials such as cardboard, fabric, plywood, polystyrene, scrim and cement. These constructions are often painted in industrial or vibrant colors, the seams of their construction left at times visible, revealing the means of their making.

‘Phyllida Barlow. glimpse’ is on view now through 8 May 2022 at Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles.