I was put onto Anne Hardy by my supervisory lecturers, I researched her and found images as well as reading some interviews with the artist. Her FIELDworks pieces were of particular interest to me since they feature colour, light, sound and a range of discarded objects. Her aim I think was to create a space that is unfixed and changeable, with fans coming on and off, lights changing as well as sounds. All of which encourages the viewer to question and reimagine the present moment which also influences perspectives on the future.
I personally would love to be able to see this work and experience it in reality since the photos give a good sense of the experience but also it cannot be translated through a 2D image. This is similar to my developing practice, I am trying to communicate a multifaceted experience through static paintings, which I have now chosen to expand to incorporate video and sound as well.
What I love about Hardy’s work is the use of colour, light, object and sound to create atmosphere. This is done in a somewhat painterly way but expands to become a physical painting you experience and exist within, not simply gaze upon. There is a rough and ready sense to her work that makes it recognisable and otherworldly all at the same time, combining pedestrian processes and objects transforming them. This familiar but frontier reality is then experienced and interpreted first hand by the audience in a way that is suggestive but not pre-prescribed.
Hardy’s work has inspired me to pursue sound/audio elements and incorporate them into my work, she has also encouraged me to think about how to use shape, form and space to influence the viewer and their experience. I also think that her visible/understandable construction makes the work more accessible and relatable to the audience.
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