A distinctive feature of Clough’s work was the breadth of materials used. PC0665 makes use of scouring pads, arranged in formal symmetry, elevated beyond their inherent value. She also used muslin, oil spray, found objects and frames (see PC0697, PC0560). A testament to the resourcefulness of Britons, subjected to rations, Clough’s use of so-culled mundane materials was also indicative of a wider social concern that informed her choices throughout life. She frequently donated earned money and prize money to young art students, schools and charities. When she won the prestigious Jerwood prize in 1999, she promptly gave the £30,000 grant away. Her refusal to court fame, and reticence in interviews, cast her in the shadows of a contemporary art scene, increasingly driven by public performance and personal biography.
Annely Juda Fine Art was privileged to work directly with Clough while she was alive, and we continue to manage her estate. While her extraordinary creative vision has long been recognised by fellow artists, her public recognition has been comparatively lacking, and she is not afforded the same status as her male peers. A major exhibition of her work at the Tate in 2007 went some way to correct this, but there are still significant strides to be made and it is the pleasure of Annely Juda Fine Art to have an opportunity to showcase her diverse creative output and bring this British artist’s work to an international audience.
