In the February 24 edition of Muses – the arts blog from BJPsych International – Dr Tim McInerny, Pictures Editor, BJPsych International introduces Alison Wilding, the artist whose work is on the cover of the latest edition of BJPsych International.

As pictures editor, I selected Alison Wilding’s art for the February cover because of the power and strangeness of her work. Her sinister but beautiful sculpture appears to float in time and space.

Terrestrial by Alison Wilding

Courtesy Rowland Gallery

Alison Wilding has always been fascinated by deadly, beautiful things, either found in nature or when manufactured, and specifically in regard to the latter, the realm of the military machine. The drone and Stealth bomber are such subject matter that have provided the artist with material over the years from which she makes drawings and sculptures. The similarities between the natural and artificial are explored in these pieces and too the horror of recognising the beauty sometimes inherent in machines of war. Three of Wilding’s Drone series of drawings are, perhaps appropriately, in the collection of the Imperial War Museum, London.

Terrestrial (2003), is a monocoque sculpture made from hundreds of bands of smokey acrylic pieces, slotted together and assembled in a grid like structure rising from the ground to form two shimmering lozenges. Their appearance is blurred and cloud-like but concealed within are the forms of Stealth bombers, invisible giant black birds. In an interview the artist says, ‘ I have never seen a Stealth bomber, and I’m not sure who has, but I became obsessed with the deadly combination of its aesthetic together with its cloak of invisibility in 2001.’

https://rowlandgallery.com/artists/34-alison-wilding/works/

Welcome to Muses – the arts blog from BJPsych International. Launched in March 2022, this new blog aims to highlight international art and artists, particularly from low-and-middle-income countries, with a focus on mental health. We welcome submissions for consideration, such as, comments on artwork, visual arts, literature, drama, films, podcasts, and videos. Do have a look at the instructions for blog authors for details on how to submit. General enquiries about the blog: BJPInternational@rcpsych.ac.uk

Dr Marinos Kyriakopoulos, Editor-in-Chief, BJPsych International