Judy Clark (artist)

For other people named Judy Clark, see Judy Clark (disambiguation).

Judy Clark
Born	1949 (age 75–76)
Education	Slade School of Art

Judy Clark (born 1949) is a British artist. She works in several media, including painting, assemblage, sculptural media, and print.

She studied at Portsmouth Polytechnic and the Slade School of Art. ^[1] During the 1980s she worked in a studio in Carpenters Road in Stratford. Her work is in the permanent collection of the Tate Gallery.

Early work

After exhibiting her post-graduate work at Slade, in June 1973 she was approached by the curators of the newly opened Garage Art gallery in London. She was invited to exhibit more of her work, and created the solo exhibition 'Issues' for November 1973. Clark was inspired by Mary Douglas anthropology work on taboos and disorder, published in Purity and Danger. ^[2] Clark cited from the book throughout the exhibition. She was also inspired by travel in Europe, where she saw the contemporary work of Joseph Beuys, Dieter Rot, and others. Clark also cited a TV programme exploring fictional investigations of forensic science teams as an influence. ^[3] 'Issues' explores the body through Clark's collection of bodily fluids and parts, such as menstruation and hair. Clark was one of the first artists to explore menstrual blood in her art. ^[4] The exhibition received an unusual amount of attention for an artist who was young and just done with art school. ^[5] 'Issues' was reviewed in mainstream media by Caroline Tisdall in The Guardian ^[6] and Marina Valzey in Financial Times. ^[7]

Later work

In 2023-24, Clark's work 'Cycle' from 1973 was included in 'Women in Revolt!' exhibition at Tate Britain and touring

In 2001, Clark's work 'Housedust' from 1973 was included in 'Live In Your Head' exhibition at Whitechapel Art Gallery, London and touring

In 2001, Clark was commissioned to design a series of textile wall hangings for three 1st floor conference rooms in Portcullis House, Westminster.

In 2000, Clark received a major award from Arts Council to develop her artistic practice 2000-2003

In 1999, Clark won an Arts Council Grant for the exhibition 'A Rare Sighting' at Cable Street Gallery, London.

In 1998, Clark won an Arts Council Grant for the exhibition 'The Occupier' at Pallant House Gallery, Chichester, UK

Solo exhibitions

• Solo exhibition, 'The Occupier,' Pallant House Gallery, Chichester, 1998
• Solo exhibition, 'Issues', Garage Art, Earlham Street, London, November–December 1973

Further reading

Judy Clark's work has been explored by several art writers, critics, and art historians:

• Kathy Battista, Renegotiating the Body: Feminist Art in 1970s London, I.B. Tauris, 2013. ^[8]
• Alicia Foster, Tate Women Artists, Tate Publishing, 2004. ^[9]
• Ricard Cork, Everything Seemed Possible, Yale University Press, 2003
• Griselda Pollock and Rozsika Parker, Framing Feminism, Pandora, 1985

References

1. Foster, Alicia (2004). Tate women artists. London: Tate. p. 188. ISBN   9781854373113.
2. "Home Page". www.judyclarkartist.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2 July 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
3. "Home Page". www.judyclarkartist.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2 July 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
4. Lewis, Jen (2015). Widening the Cycle, A Menstrual Cycle and Reproductive Justice Art Show.
5. Kathy, Battista (2013). Renegotiating the Body: Feminist Art in 1970s London. I.B. Tauris.
6. Tisdall, Caroline (1973). "Bodyworks". The Guardian.
7. Valzey, Marina (1973). "Judy Clark". Financial Times.
8. Kathy, Battista (2013). Renegotiating the Body: Feminist Art in 1970s London. I.B. tauris.
9. Foster, Alice (2004). Tate Women Artists. Tate.