Mary Ramsden

British artist Mary Ramsden’s works are known for being “unapologetically painterly” but are always abstract in composition and strategic in refusal of referential readings. A sense of simplicity and compositional unity belies the complexity of their making. Ramsden decisively applies layers of paint using brushes and rags as well as her own hands, but subsequently wipes them away to create gradual build up of repetitive layers through the conflicting actions of doing and undoing. The artist’s gesture takes center stage, but not only the energized swing of the arm but the aftermath of the action.

Recent exhibitions include Pilar Corrias, London, Fiorucci Art Trust, with Stella Bottai, London, State of Concept, Athens, Saatchi Gallery, London, Kinman, London, The Moving Museum, London, Temple Bar, Dublin and New Contemporaries, UK.

Courtesy of Whitechapel Gallery