EMST PRESENTS “RIG: UNTITLED;BLOCKS” by PHYLLIDA BARLOW

It’s rare to connect so deeply with an artist’s work and vibrant personality, but this is what happened after discovering Phylippa Barlow’s video at the exhibition RIG: UNTITLED; BLOCKS. Her massive installation at EMST hits you—raw, alive, and unapologetically bold and vibrant. Since the late ’60s, Barlow’s been using ordinary materials like cardboard, concrete, and fabric to build sculptures that feel like they’re bursting with energy.

They’re not just objects; they’re marked by the process—cut, torn, and warped—exploding with color and texture. She redefines what sculpture can be, pushing boundaries of space, form, and meaning.

Growing up in Cold War Britain, Barlow remembers London’s East End after the bombings. Her work, she says, is an “archaeology” that blends the past, present, and future—a conversation between the scars of history and the optimistic vital pulse of the city.