Sculpting Lives: Alison Wilding

Alison Wilding emerged into the art world in the 1980s making powerful sculptural statements out of a myriad of materials. Taking sculpture out of the museum and off the plinth, Wilding’s work is some of the most enigmatic and beguiling sculpture being produced, and in a candid interview in her studio we ask her about influences, materials and her experiences of art school. We also speak to art historians and commercial galleries to get different perspectives on the Turner Prize nominated sculptor. Taking to the art historian Jo Applin about where Wilding 'fits' within the histories of sculpture, she observed: 'You can always search for peer group comparisons or historical, where she might fit in a longer historical trajectory but there's something utterly idiosyncratic to the way in which she thinks in abstract terms that is, for me, one of the most rewarding things about her work.'

With contributions from:

• Alison Wilding, R.A.
• Jo Applin, Courtauld Institute of Art
• Tom Rowland, Karsten Schubert
• Madeleine Bessborough, New Art Centre
• Jessica Smith, New Art Centre

Image: Alison Wilding, courtesy of Karsten Schubert, London.