School of Art Celebrates Fine Arts Library Acquisition, 'Bridget Riley: The Complete Paintings'

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'Bridget Riley: The Complete Paintings'

A reception was held earlier this week by the School of Art at the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, celebrating the recent acquisition of Bridget Riley: The Complete Paintings by the Fine Arts Library. 

Refreshments and thoughtful conversations were had as students and faculty gathered in the main lobby of the Fine Arts Building. The reception showcased a viewing of the catalogue alongside library experts Phillip Jones and Emiliee Mathews.

The Fine Arts Library, located on the first floor of the Fine Arts Building, acquired the monumental publication thanks to the endowment created by the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation.

The Bridget Riley: The Complete Paintings provides comprehensive scholarship and documentation on the more than 600 known paintings by Bridget Riley (b. London, 1931). Published in 2018, the catalogue raisonné comprises five volumes of over 1,800 pages and covers work from the late 1940s to 2017. 

The New York Times praises the "meticulously detailed" scholarship and "exquisitely illustrated" reproductions. 

Each entry provides a high-quality image of Riley's paintings, as well as crucial information, including the current repository or private collection and lists where the work was exhibited. Riley, known for her bold use of color and shape and her longevity as an artist, has enjoyed a revival of interest in the last ten years. She is now considered one of the most important artists of the last fifty years. 

The catalogue complements the collections of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Library and is endorsed by School of Art faculty members. 

Riley's work is inspirational to artists and designers, of great interest to art historians, and her own experience as an art educator makes her a perfect representation of School of Art's current and future curricular strengths.

Catalogues raisonnés are critical to a research library that supports students and faculty in art history, art studio, design and other fine art disciplines, as they often provide the only way to examine the entire corpus of a particular artist. The opportunity to acquire publications of this caliber will increase the research and creative impact of the School of Art. 

Due to the value, Bridget Riley: The Complete Paintings must be requested in person at the Fine Arts Library. The Fine Arts Library is open 83 hours per week in the fall and spring semesters. Hours for a given week are available online at libraries.uark.edu/fal/hours.