Page "Pauline Boty" Paragraph 1

Boty was born in suburban south London in 1938 into a middle-class, Catholic family.

The youngest of four children, she had three older brothers and a stern father who made her keenly aware of her position as a girl.

In 1954 she won a scholarship to the Wimbledon School of Art where she went despite her father's disapproval ( Boty's mother, on the other hand, was a frustrated artist, having been denied parental permission to attend the Slade School of Fine Art herself ).

Boty earned an Intermediate diploma in lithography ( 1956 ) and a National Diploma in Design in stained glass ( 1958 ).

Her schoolmates called her " The Wimbledon Bardot " on account of her resemblance to the French film star Brigette Bardot.

Encouraged by her tutor Charles Carey to explore collage techniques, Boty's painting became more experimental.

Her work showed an interest in popular culture early on.

In 1957 one of her pieces was shown at the Young Contemporaries exhibition alongside work by Robyn Denny, Richard Smith and Bridget Riley.