Prunella Clough

Mesh II

About this artwork

Prunella Clough’s artwork titles of the early 1980s often refer to fences, gates, mesh and wire – materials of domestic and industrial security. The paintings themselves generally refuse to depict these subjects in a straightforward manner. This painting has a complex abstract pattern reminiscent of textile design. This pattern disintegrates and disappears across the surface, leaving large areas of the background visible. The painting’s frontal, flat view aligns with the shallow style of her snapshots, taken when out and about to aid her memory in the studio. This painting also hints at an aerial view of a landscape: perhaps a long-held trace of her wartime work as a map maker. Clough’s friend, the painter Patrick Heron, once described her paintings as ‘machines for seeing.’

Published September 2022

Does this text contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? Tell us what you think.

Prunella Clough

Prunella Clough