Gillian Wise

Gillian Wise (1936–2020) was a British artist associated with the Constructivist and Systems art movements. Born in Ilford, London, she studied at Wimbledon School of Art and the Central School of Arts and Crafts, and by the late 1950s was exhibiting alongside artists including Victor Pasmore, Kenneth and Mary Martin, and Anthony Hill. She formally joined the British Constructivist group in 1961.

Wise’s practice developed around geometric structures, exploring relationships between line, plane, colour, light and three-dimensional space. Her reliefs and constructions frequently employed industrial materials such as aluminium and Perspex, with transparency, reflection and optical effects becoming important elements. In 1969–70 she travelled to the Soviet Union on a British Council scholarship to study Russian Constructivism, and in 1970 joined the Systems Group, participating in its exhibitions at the Arnolfini and Whitechapel galleries.

Among her architectural commissions is The Alice Walls (1982–83), a three-storey mural relief for the Barbican Arts Centre incorporating painted metal, mirrors and geometric forms. Wise later held a fellowship at MIT’s Center for Advanced Visual Studies and relocated to Paris in the 1980s, where she continued to work across painting, relief and writing. Her work is held in collections including Tate, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Arts Council Collection.

Seriatim Tower - Gillian Wise

Seriatim Tower - Gillian Wise

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