Sculptor Phyllida Barlow on view at Tate Britain

LONDON - Tate Britain unveiled today the largest and most ambitious work made by sculptor Phyllida Barlow (b. 1944).

Her sculptures has been created for the annual Tate Britain Commission 2014, supported by Sotheby’s. The commission encouraged artists to make new work in response to Tate’s collection of British and international art.

Her sculpture called "Dock 2014" is colossal in scale and physically intrusive.

Phyllida Barlow has worked for over four decades with inexpensive, everyday materials to create large sculptural installations. This is his style, sincer forever. His current art work is comprised of lightweight materials such as timber, metal, polystyrene, canvas, cardboard and rope.

Phyllida Barlow said: "In my response to the Tate Britain Commission, I was conscious of the architecture of the building, and how the outside appearance of the gallery seems to defy the scale on the inside. I wanted to explore two contradictory aspects: the enclosed gallery interiors against the ever-present aspect of the river beyond. Dock brings in elements of both of these environments and also speaks to the heritage of the Duveens as a sculpture gallery".

Penelope Curtis, Director, Tate Britain, said: "When we invited Phyllida Barlow to make work for the Tate Britain Commission we knew it would be exciting and challenging. Dock 2014 has exceeded our expectations. The scale and energy of Barlow’s work is immense and it is wonderful to know that the work stems from a deep love and familiarity with Tate’s sculpture collection".

Cheyenne Westphal, Co-Head of Contemporary Art Worldwide, said: "Every year, the Tate Britain Commission provides an enormously important platform for British artists, bringing them into the global spotlight and allowing for a celebration of today’s extraordinarily vibrant British art scene. We have already provided support for this important commission for six years and are now thrilled to be able to announce our continued commitment to the commission for the next three years".

Phyllida Barlow (b. 1944) studied at Chelsea School of Art, London (1960-63) and then the Slade School of Fine Art, London (1963-66), where she later became a Professor.