Abstract Vaudeville

This generously illustrated volume provides a comprehensive survey of the career of a groundbreaking British performance artist. Rose English (b.1950) emerged in the 1970s with an interdisciplinary approach informed by performance, conceptual art, dance, feminism and installation – a pioneering combination at the time.

English has gone on to become one of the most influential performance artists working today. Combining elements of theatre, circus, opera and poetry, her work explores themes of gender politics, the identity of the performer and the metaphysics of presence. She has mounted performances in ice rinks, theatres and traditional art spaces such as London’s Tate Britain, collaborating with horses, magicians and acrobats.

This monograph documents English’s 40-year career to date, including legendary site-specific performances and large-scale spectaculars. Accompanying many rare archival photographs and performance scripts, a major essay by Guy Brett surveys the artist’s work and times alongside interviews with two of English's closest collaborators, Sally Potter and Simon Vincenzi.