We are delighted to unveil the full list of 59 works by 25 artists acquired for the nation over the last twelve months. Over 75% of the work’s acquired for 2018 – 2019 are by female artists building upon Arts Council Collection’s mission to support and champion the breadth and diversity of British art and artists.
This year’s acquisitions include works by a number of early career artists including Flo Brooks, Holly Hendry, Evan Ifekoya and Imran Perretta who are all under the age of 35. The Collection also supports artists from a broad age spectrum and has this year acquired Untitled, 1976 by Gillian Lowndes (1936-2010) made at an important period in Lowndes career in which she began to use hand-building processes to construct intricate, basket-like ceramic works.
The Collection has acquired several performance-based video works this year. Artists such as Frances Disley, Jacqueline Donachie, susan pui san lok, and Zadie Xa explore themes of self-betterment, authenticity and non-linear female narratives through experimental multi-channel works. A moving image highlight of this year’s acquisitions is 15 days, (2018), a single channel video work by London-based artist Imran Perretta. The work was inspired by the artist’s time spent with former inhabitants of the refugee camp near Calais, France that became known as the Jungle. Perretta’s work realises the camps state of uncertainty and animates a bleak environment against a backdrop of dank digital trees and muddy scrubland, interspersed with handheld footage shot on location in France. The work captures the intense emotions of living on the edge, bringing them to the centre of the viewer’s thoughts.
Nine works by London-based artist John Walter from his project CAPSID (2018–19) have also been acquired by the Collection. A collaboration with molecular virologist Professor Greg Towers of University College London, this project aims to bring new scientific knowledge about viral capsids to the attention of the wider public and addresses the crisis of representation surrounding viruses such as HIV.