MIRANDA FREEMAN
has a chat with local arty type Anna Horne.

It’s not often you’ll find artists that tackle the three-dimensional, which is why it’s always exciting to find someone amongst the hordes of canvassed, paint-stained and turps-smelling arteests who finds their creative comfort in sculpture. Introducing TwinBEE Studio resident, Anna Horne. Playing on optical illusions by layering rigid shapes in specific angles, her artwork specialises in large scale sculptures crafted from workshop materials like wood, carpet and bolts. They’re all friggin’ huge, immaculately architectural and cast a breathtaking array of shapes as you walk around them – from twisting boxes that burst open at the top to sprawling, frenetic jigsaw puzzles. When we visited Anna at her studio off Payneham Rd, she began by excitedly showing off her latest acquisition – a hulking power saw almost half her size, lying on the ground among the scattered sawdust. We knew we were going to like her.

How would you describe your art?
My art is about the process of constructing. Basically, I like building things. Through the labour of construction and based on my own personal references to architecture and the built environment around me, my sculptures occur.

When did you first realise you wanted to pursue art as a full-time occupation?
Not until year 12, actually, probably not even then. I nearly failed year 12 out of pure laziness and procrastination, and because of that I couldn’t get into uni to do science. I wanted to be a marine biologist, an astronaut or something but the big man said “not with those grades!” My mother being a painter convinced me to do a year of art at Adelaide Central School of Art (ACSA). Turns out I enjoyed art – actually, I fucking loved it. A mix of practical and theoretical with a subjective edge, you can’t be wrong in art. I had some seriously inspiring teachers also. So four years later I now have a bachelor in Visual Arts. This made me realise that art could be an occupation, a good one.

What things have inspired you to become an artist?
I’m not sure, but I think it’s inbuilt in you from the start. I always liked to build things. What inspired me probably started with Lego, Jenga, lounge room cubby houses, papier mache...

So why sculptures?
Painting made me uncomfortable from the start. I liked my painting classes but I could never seem to find anything to say about painting. Anything 3D I could talk about, I had ideas about sculpture. I enjoy the process of constructing objects, the technical aspects, the problem solving. Sculpture is like a game or puzzle. There seemed to be more a breadth of materials and choices within sculpture.

What kind of mediums and materials do you usually use when creating a sculpture?
The materials I use often concern an idea of “fake versus authentic”. While the antique, organic or crafted object is highly valued, it is pitted up against my overriding fascination with the copy. Manufactured ‘fake’ items that resemble ‘real’ products such as wood and stone vinyl, fake grass, plastic carpet and foam merchandise are materials that form part of my process.

Your artwork is really technical and large scale. What kind of costs and amount of time does it take to create one of your pieces?
It costs a shit load! I think the way is to put your efforts into applying for grants consistently. I have received a couple from Arts SA and I couldn’t imagine my projects or exhibition going forth without that funding, you get amazing exposure also but I suppose where there’s a will there’s a way. Eat only toast for week to buy some good glue, that kind of thing. If you’re dedicated you’ll do a lot. The large scale of the pieces is just something I want to investigate now. It seems appropriate cause of my architectural interests. I will defiantly approach smaller scale works in the future – I want to touch on a lot of things. The time factor can vary. The “eruption” or “exploding boxes” take a significant amount of time. Repetition is part of my methods.  Though with the cost thing a lot of good work can come out of recycled or found objects. It obviously about the way you use them. Restricting yourself can force you to come up with interesting ideas but the work I’m making now needs new materials.

Who inspires you?
My favourite artists vary – mostly contemporary. One artist that never seems to leave is Australian sculptor Callum Morton. He does brilliant installations revolved around architecture and sound. A new favourite is Martin Puryear, his works are just so incredibly made. The basis of his work is to use techniques he already knows, like boat making.

How do your knuckles feel after creating a giant wooden exploding box?
(Laughs) The process in strangely therapeutic, because I’m slowly creating something that is explosive and angry. When I first starting working on exploding boxes last year I did try to smash everything with anything I could find in my studio, even dropping things out of buildings (that part probably just for fun). None of these methods worked, they were just smashed pieces of wood. But one day I was in the studio and too broke to buy any materials so I started playing with scrap wood vinyl pieces from a previous work. The wood vinyl is this contrived substance that tries to look like wood, but fails. I thought: “Why not contrive an exploding box with a contrived material?” and I think it worked.

What kind of instruments are involved in creating a sculpture?
I’m slowly building myself a nice tool collection. I have a Makita Jigsaw (my favourite), a drop saw (it’s very big), a drill and a sander. I suppose my collection is similar to a carpenter. All these tools equal to a lot of dust in the hair and the lungs.

How much money do you think you spend at Bunnings annually?
I was lucky enough to get a grant from Arts SA for making these works, so I have been liberal with my money because it’s not mine! This is why I felt more comfortable making larger works. With a grant your ideas can become more of a reality – and Bunnings becomes a candy store.

Where can we see your most recent work?
I’m working on a few large sculptures for an exhibition will be on the 26th of February at The Contemporary Art Centre of South Australia Project space as part of The Adelaide Festival of Arts. The subject of the exhibition will be an examination of one thread of my current working ideas. This will revolve around ‘cracks’, fractures, breakages and splinters within architecture. I want to draw attention to the cracks and fractures you discover within walls, buildings, and constructions of many sizes. These are faults, or the environmental erosion of built structures. These cracks are everywhere, they are many different shapes and sizes and all individual. I want to record them somehow within our built environment through photography translated into drawing, or a combination of both. The sculptural work again will be a translation of this. Instead of using manufactured common materials, I started collecting things from the home environment that reminded me of my childhood. My parents had a slightly common 60s/70s brown aesthetic in the house I grew up in, which now in vintage shops is considered ‘retro’. A lot of my generation seem to be drawn to the aesthetics of their home during early childhood.

Have you ever walked into an art gallery and seen a sculpture and just thought: “Yuck”?
Haha! I’m sure, but I have to show some respect for other sculptures and artists. I don’t even want to know what others think of mine. Art bitching I keep to a select few.

Do you think you will continue in the direction of sculptures in the future?
Definitely. I want to travel and start making portable work, or as I like to call it ‘flat pack’ work. I want to try and render 3D work to a portable 2D size. This is more problem solving stuff in sculpture that can be really fun.

Any props to TwinBEE studios?
Props to everyone in the studio! But especially to the other sculptor, Julia Robinson. I think everyone should have a look at her demonic goats. Also Rohan Fraser with his mental drawings, Jess Mara, Kveta Dean, Janice Lane, Sue Michael and Deb Prior, check all these artists out. The best thing about being in an open group studio is shared music, opinions and just talking crap. Interesting crap though!