ANNA HARDING
Artist Statement
My work is both conceptual and intuitive. Underlying this is an interest in places and their vibe, the past visible in the present. I often make art about modernist legacies, futures which haven’t quite worked out according to the dream. I'm also highly influenced by the changing seasons.
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Modern in the Wild is my latest project made in remote Northern Sweden.
The Lounge Lobby series is set in mid-century modern hotel lobbies.
Grand Designs 1923-2023 series considers modernist villas which were abandoned due to war or regime change and their recuperation after violent interludes.
Ghosts of IKEA was a post-apocalyptic imagining based on memories of IKEA in North London, our personal walkthrough implanted in our muscle memory.
I often explore ubiquitous modernist values of which I'm a product, something which is experienced as a quiet abandonment.
I work in oil on linen, watercolour, drawing and print, letting the pigment bleed uncontrollably.
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Brief Biography
I started my art practice as a late developer, realising that I should be making art after raising children and a career in the arts. I’ve seized the moment, bringing wisdom, resourcefulness and resilience to my practice. I studied at alternative art schools in London and my practice is growing organically without distractions.
I love to collaborate and respond to sites. I love to travel and gain inspiration from new places.
My original degree is in History and History of Art (UCL) gives me a research mind which informs my art, as do my MA in Art Education and diploma in Curating.
As a young curator, I worked at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Whitechapel, Hayward Gallery, Camerawork and Kettles Yard Cambridge. I then founded the MA in Curating at Goldsmiths Visual Arts Department which I ran for 8 years. I also worked at SPACE (founded by Bridget Riley + Peter Sedgley in 1968) a charity supporting London’s artist community. Alongside my art practice I love writing and research and have edited several art books. I am open to interesting projects and opportunities for collaboration.
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