Rose Wylie

The Museum Langmatt presents the first Swiss solo exhibition by Rose Wylie (* 1934 in Kent, where she currently lives). She is considered one of the most significant British artists of the present day, even though she achieved her breakthrough at a great age through events such as the highly-regarded exhibition at the Tate Britain 2013 and in the Serpentine Gallery in 2017. Once again, the Langmatt offers the chance to discover a remarkable artist who pursues her artistic path courageously and undeterred.

Rose Wylie’s large-format painting oscillates between surreal pop and wild punk. From a wide repertoire of motifs from popular culture, newspaper announcements, and everyday life, the artist distils striking scenes that represent humorous and sometimes also critical commentaries on current events. With a brilliant brush and a spontaneous style, she outlines forms in an intuitive, raw, and virtuoso way, calmly exploding traditional notions of painting. Figures flit about within the picture space, backgrounds transform themselves into tapestry-like patterns, and letters and whole sentences are spread prominently across the canvas. Rose Wylie impressively demonstrates just how carefree and genuine painting can be today, in spite of – or perhaps because of – the numerous stylistic revolutions of the 20th century. Her pictures are touching in their strange lightness and a playful naivety. With gusto and energy, they spin fantasies of life and death, love and loss, joy and sorrow. Suddenly, the traditional themes of art history step down from their pedestals and surprise us by meeting us eye to eye.

Photo: Exhibition view of Rose Wylie