Introduction

Hello. I’m Colin B. Bailey, Director of the Morgan Library & Museum. I’m pleased to welcome you to Bridget Riley Drawings: From the Artist’s Studio.

The British artist Bridget Riley is one of the most celebrated abstract painters of her generation. She first came to international prominence in the 1960s with innovative black-and-white works that produce pronounced optical effects. Over six decades, she has continued to make the act of looking her central artistic concern. Her drawings, or studies, as she refers to them, are at the heart of her studio process, which is intuitive rather than scientific. In this exhibition—the first in over fifty years to focus exclusively on her drawings—you will see the evolution of Riley’s distinctive vision, beginning with figurative and landscape works from her student years. All of the works in the gallery have been kept by the artist, a fact which underscores their personal and professional significance. We are very grateful to Riley for sharing them with us on this occasion.

On this tour, you will hear excerpts from interviews Bridget Riley has given over the years. A prolific writer and frequent subject of interviews, she is an extremely engaging narrator of her own career. The clips will be introduced by Rachel Federman, Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Drawings at the Morgan Library and Museum.

As you move through the gallery, look for the audio symbols to discover these clips. Thank you for joining us at the Morgan. We hope you enjoy your visit.