Ann Kopka’s artistic practice incorporates mixed media painting, drawing, 3D, installation, and digital arts. She is currently engaged in researching the properties of everyday ephemera; disposable discarded objects of little or no intrinsic value, drawing attention to the throwaway nature of consumer society and questioning our perceptions of its value systems.

Through the concept of making ‘something out of nothing’, items such as found papers, redundant photographs, discarded packaging and discarded everyday objects, are subjected to investigative processes and either become the source material for painting or are transformed into objects for reflective contemplation and exploration.

In this instance charity shop jugs became the source material for the painting ‘Talking Pottery’.

Ann has studied BA Fine Art, at Central St Martins’ College of Art & Design and has completed a two year contemporary Fine Art course at the City Lit in Central London. In 2001 Ann graduated from the Open University with a first class honours degree specialising in the Practices and Debates of Modern Art.

Ann has exhibited at galleries in Central London and North West London, London Docklands, Hampstead, Watford and Boston. In 2006 Ann was selected by the charity BlindArt to exhibit a large scale multi sensory relief image constructed entirely with tea leaves, for the Sense & Sensuality Exhibition at the Bankside Gallery, Southwark. In 2008 a grid of 9 multi sensory reliefs constructed from teabags was shortlisted by Brunel University for the Essence Exhibition at the Beldam Gallery.

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TALKING CITY is Anna Francis’ Longhouse Guest Editor project, for March 2010.

Click here to go to the project page.