Anna Guadagnini is a London based Italian Fine Art photographer. In her work, she expresses the feelings and ideas that are part of her everyday life as a woman, and mother, while maintaining a link to the playfulness and imagination of her childhood years. She Explains "I take pictures of what moves me, using my creative process as a way to heal and show the beauty in the constant struggles we face in our lives as human beings." Using colour to convey emotions, her images present a strong implied narrative, an in-between moment, a small piece of a larger story. She hopes the viewer will complete the story based on their own life experience, using their imagination.
1) Which art movement do you consider most influential on your practice?
I definitely begin my work process based on ideas and meanings, so Conceptual Art plays a big part in my creative practice.
2) Where do you go and when to make your best art?
It mainly depends on the concept behind the work I want to produce, locations and subjects of my work are carefully researched and chosen to fit the narrative and ideas that I want to convey, they are just elements that help me to tell a story.
3) How do you describe your 'creative process'?
I take pictures of what moves me, using my creative process as a way to heal and show the beauty in the constant struggles we face in our lives as human beings.The work I produce is mainly portraiture. The intimate approach and autobiographical nature of my practice often result in self portraits. My photographs present a strong implied narrative, an in-between moment, a small piece of a larger story. I hope the viewer will complete the story based on their own life experience, using their imagination.
4) Which artist, living or deceased, is the greatest inspiration to you?
The work of Francesca Woodman, Ana Mendieta and Cindy Sherman definitely had an impact on my practice, I was completely blown away by how these artists used their own bodies as part of the creative process. To be able to step inside the work I am creating feels freeing and empowering.
5) If you weren't an artist, what would you do?
As a child I wanted to become an archeologist, I think that the fascination with the past can also be perceived in my work as an artist.
6) What do you listen to for inspiration?
I don’t have a specific type of music that I listen to for inspiration, but sometime the lyrics of a song or even a sentence from a book can spark my inspiration.
7) If you could own one artwork, and money was no object, which piece would you acquire?
“The Persistence of Memory” by Salvador Dali
8) If your dream museum or collection owner came calling, which would it be?
The National Portrait Gallery, I also dream of having a travelling exhibition with the Swedish Museum Fotografinska.
9) What is your key piece of advice for artists embarking on a fine art or creative degree today?
Learn to master failure and rejection, If you don’t believe in what you do first no one else will.
10) What is your favourite book of all time (fiction or non fiction)?
Women Who Run with Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes.
11) If you could hang or place your artwork in one non traditional art setting, where would it be?
As a prop in a theatre play.
12) What was the biggest lesson your university course or time studying taught you?
I think it has to be the value of experimentation and research, with these tools one can approach any topic.
13) And finally, if we were to fast forward 10 years, where would we find you?
I will definitely still be making art, I hope that by then I will have produced a body of work that is innovative and deserving of recognition by major institutions and galleries, this is where I am trying to go. I would also like to be teaching workshops and publish books.
Learn more about Anna and discover her collection of artworks.
