Art Funded by you

Dedicated to the Unknown Artists, 1972–6

Susan Hiller, 1972–1976

Hiller has lived and worked in Britain since the early 1970s, when she became known for an innovative practice that excavated forgotten or ignored aspects of our culture. This work consists of 14 panels, featuring over 300 popular postcards depicting waves crashing onto the coastline, each captioned ‘Rough Sea’. They were collected by the artist from British seaside towns and a large map annotated with the locations featured in the postcards is included in the first panel. The grid formation, the serial presentation and the typed labelling clearly identify the work of an artist employing the language of Conceptualism. The title however makes the link to a number of works the artist has made on the subject of memory and memorials, in this case the forgotten artists who created the images. This acquisition of such an important piece from the artist's early career will allow the museum to represent an important artist more comprehensively, as well as enable a fuller representation of a key period in 20th-century art.

More information

Title of artwork, date

Dedicated to the Unknown Artists, 1972–6, 1972–1976

Date supported

2012

Medium and material

Postcards, charts and map

Dimensions

Variable

Grant

80000

Total cost

200000

Content note: This object record is part of our archive and has not been updated since it was first published. It may contain inaccurate information or outdated language. Please get in touch if you think this record should be amended.

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