Milly Thompson, BANK Collective Artist Known for Satirical Artworld Critique, Dies at 58

Milly Thompson, a British artist recognized for her role in the BANK collective and later solo feminist works, passed away in 2022. Born in 1964, she joined BANK in 1993, collaborating with Simon Bedwell and John Russell to curate provocative exhibitions in East London warehouses, featuring artists like Chris Ofili and Sonia Boyce. The group's projects included the satirical tabloid The BANK and the Fax-Bak Service from 1998 to 1999, which mocked artworld press releases. After BANK dissolved in 2003, Thompson focused on solo art that humorously examined consumer culture through sculpture, video, and painting. Starting in 2011, she created paintings of female subjects, addressing the invisibility of middle-aged women, with series like Cougar in 2016 depicting older women in leisure settings. Four of her paintings were included in the Whitechapel Gallery's 2022 London Open. Thompson also taught at Goldsmiths College and the Royal College of Art from 2000 onward. In a 2021 interview, she reflected on BANK's critique of the professionalizing artworld before events like Frieze became dominant.