Pauline Boty British, 1938-1966

Pauline Boty (b. 1938 – d. 1966 London, UK) was a pioneering British Pop artist and one of the few female voices to emerge forcefully within the movement. A graduate of the Royal College of Art, Boty combined painting, collage, and stained glass with an unapologetically feminist perspective, addressing sexuality, popular culture, and the portrayal of women in mass media at a time when such themes were rarely explored by her male counterparts. Her vibrant compositions, often featuring film icons, political figures, and self-referential imagery, captured the spirit of Swinging London while pushing against the cultural and social limitations imposed on women artists of her generation. Though her career was tragically short, Boty’s work remains radical, witty, and deeply resonant.

The Mayor Gallery has played a significant role in restoring Boty’s place within the Pop Art canon, exhibiting her work at key moments when institutional recognition was still gaining ground. Through dedicated presentations, inclusion in surveys of British Pop, and sustained advocacy within the gallery’s wider programme, The Mayor Gallery has helped bring renewed visibility to Boty’s legacy, ensuring her contributions are acknowledged within both British art history and international Pop discourse. Today, she is recognised not only as a leading figure of British Pop, but as a vital feminist voice whose work continues to influence contemporary artists and scholars alike.