Stellar: Stars of our Contemporary Collection
Wolverhampton Art Gallery (WAG)
Stellar presents an array of painting, drawing, sculpture, print, film and photography by some of the leading lights of British contemporary art in recent decades. Sonia Boyce, Helen Chadwick, Lubaina Himid, Allen Jones, Langlands & Bell, Paula Reto.
Each of the featured artists has been nominated for the Turner Prize, one of the most prestigious prizes in the art world, or selected for the British Art Show over its 40-year history and all the works are from Wolverhampton Art Gallery’s collection.
The show has been curated through the lens of our collecting priorities since the 1970s, from Pop Art through Abstract painting and works relating to the Troubles in Northern Ireland and other areas of unrest, to work by Black British artists.
Stellar explores some of the themes that have fuelled the work of these trailblazing artists – topics such as gender politics, conflict and cultural identity. Wolverhampton Art Gallery has a reputation for responding to pressing social issues and acquiring works that are both politically aware and artistically rich. Curators such as David Rogers in the 1970s, Brendan Flynn in the 80s and 90s, and our current Manager for Arts and Culture Marguerite Nugent have all taken bold steps to build our vibrant, relevant and thought-provoking contemporary art collection.
Image: The Boneyard from world wide web.af 2004 published by Alan Cristea Gallery
