“Waves will never be the same again, each and every time they’re different, every single wave, every single ripple, every single breaking of a wave on a shore or rock all are unique and have never happened before and will never happen again”.
At first glance, Bridget Riley’s abstract compositions might seem like pure explorations of shape and colour; arrangements designed to engage the eye. However, to stop there is to miss something more profound. Beneath the surface lies a deeply personal language, shaped by Riley’s own experiences and reflections: her work is not just visual play; it’s a thoughtful, emotional response to the world around her, embedded in rhythm, sensation and memory.
Bridget Rileys Fold, is one such screenprint shaped by memory, light and sensation and inspired by the artist's childhood in Cornwall during World War II.
Riley was just 8 years old when she and the women in her family, left South London and moved to the Cornish coast to escae the war. With no school, no transport and few distractions, Riley spenr her childhood surrounded by wild sea views, changing skies and windswept fields. The deep connection to nature and to the evershifting light of Cornwall, left a lasting impression on her and was a strong influecne on her work.
Riley was just 8 years old when she and the women in her family, left South London and moved to the Cornish coast to escae the war. With no school, no transport and few distractions, Riley spenr her childhood surrounded by wild sea views, changing skies and windswept fields. The deep connection to nature and to the evershifting light of Cornwall, left a lasting impression on her and was a strong influecne on her work.
Fold echoes the ever-changing rhythyms of the Cornish sea and sky. Though abstract, it holds something deeply personal: a visual memory of how it felt to be there. The artwork is her attempt to translate that into pure form and colour. No horizon, no waves, it is just the sensation of looking.
August 5, 2025