Five Hides is an exhibition presented by curatorial platform Thorp Stavri, supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and through the continued support of Projekt and us! FAD Magazine. We managed to catch up with five of the exhibiting artists for a quick overview about them their work and what they will be exhibiting at Five Hides here we have London based artist
Anna Reading.
Photographed in the Studio by Boundary Magazine, 2019
For those that don’t know your work, can you tell us about your background and art practice?
I am a London based artist. I work in sculpture, performance, drawing, animation and text. My works form mythological landscapes, appearing as synthetic remnants that have succumbed to marine-like accretions. Combining layers of surplus materials including gravel, oyster shells, chip forks, cardboard and bitumen, the materials cling to the sculptures as if they’ve grown there, without being cleaned away. Rooted in bodily vulnerability, the works foreground forms of shelter, defence and regeneration within the organic world. In 2018-2019 I held the Mark Tanner Sculpture Award, which culminated in a national touring solo exhibition, titled The Pothole, currently on show at Bury Art Museum and Sculpture Centre until October 24th 2020. I have recently exhibited in The Broadway Plinth in Letchworth Garden City, Snails For Eyes at Kingsgate Project Space, London, Shell Shelter and Raven Ravine at The Bomb Factory Art Foundation, London and POND at Kaitak Gallery, Hong Kong.
Anna Reading Flock, 2019, wood, foam, gravel, gloss paint, PVA, jesmonite, chip forks, stapels, 140 x 140 x 140cm
Can you tell us a bit about the work that is being shown at Five Hides?
The work is made up of five sculptural parts, which sit together to form a fractured landscape. The work draws inspiration from sci-fi, rockpools and igneous rocks, birds as augury, grottoes and the night sky.
I built a set of armatures, using board and threaded rod, which were then coated in cementious accretions. The concrete surfaces hold shell fragments and swirls of black sand. Discarded gloves from the making process are incorporated along with ceramics and chip forks. I am interested in combining materials to transform their meanings into multiple possibilities. There are bird figures with feather-like shell wings and limpet strewn surfaces inspired by constellations.
The work is called Feeding Frenzy. I wanted the scene to have a sense of chaotic ecosystem and existence. Earlier this year I became fascinated with the cormorants which fan their wet wings to dry in the middle of the lake in Burgess Park in SE London. I made drawings of them. They were so out of place in the inner city, that the birds appeared prophetic, as if warning of an anxious unknown to come. When the UK first went into lockdown, these bird messengers became a strong focus for my work and I began to make sculptures of them.
Performing Forwards Backwards Awkwards at the Opening of The Pothole at Bury Art Museum and Sculpture Centre. 2020
How does it feel to be able to exhibit larger works at a time when exhibition venues like Manor Place Baths are becoming harder and harder to come by?
I love showing larger works and am always grateful for the chance to work at scale. Manor Place Baths is so beautiful inside and rich with history and the stories of its community. It’s also a wonderful location for the materials in my work, with its own accretions from history and its peeling surfaces.
Have you made any plans for 2021? Are you feeling positive?
I’m keeping a positive outlook. Making work is my way to keep grounded and focus my energy. Equally, I am concerned for the impact the recent huge challenges have had on individuals and the community.
In 2021 I will be working with Brooke Benington Gallery to show an outdoor sculpture at Contemporary Sculpture Fulmer. This year I have been developing methods of working with concrete to begin taking my work into an outdoor environment. I am really excited by this as I will be able to explore collaborating with the uncontrolled environment of the outdoors. I am keen to make works which are energised by the outdoors, particularly by wind, rain and light conditions. CSF takes place on a beautiful estate and there are varied locations for showing work in, so I’m also really looking forward to seeing how placement affects the work. @annareading
Five Hides 3rd October – 11th October 33 Manor Place London SE17 3BH The exhibition will be adhering to current social distancing guidelines. Masks will be required for entry, hand sanitizer will be provided and access to the exhibition space will be in limited capacity. All visits will require a free ticket, which can be booked HERE .
* The 3rd of October is now fully booked and the 4th is nearly so please book ASAP to avoid disappointment.*
