Annie Attridge has created a flamboyant fountain in the heart of the plaza that oozes with sensuality, fruitiness, vibrant colours and a refreshing aura of springtime vitality. A large nude cocktail girl, meticulously moulded in clay and cast in fibreglass, leans back against a zesty orange slice in a fountain overflowing with roses. Water sprouts and splashes from her breasts in a stream of spectacular exuberance.
Annie is interested in exploring representations of classical and architectural sculpture, and the significance of public art in relation to its history and immediate context. The bather could reference a modern day Venus with a touch of rococo sugary decadence or merely herald the joy, scent and beauty of spring in London. Splash & The Spectacle conjures up an endless stream of references to and interpretations of public-garden fountains, monuments and representations of the nude while remaining ultimately enigmatic.
The Artist:
Since graduating from the Royal Academy Schools with an MA in Fine Art in 2002, and winning two Charles Saatchi Scholarship Awards, Annie Attridge has featured in the Zoo Art Fair with The Great Unsigned in October 2004, and in several British group shows, including Flies Around the Fury and Flotsam at Curator Space in October 2005.
Recent exhibitions include:
Baroque My World at the Transition Gallery, 8th April – 7th May 2006 and a joint exhibition with Jane Simpson at the Royal Academy Schools Gallery (New River Ave, Hornsey, London N8 7QD), 4th June – 30th July 2006, with a catalogue launch on Sunday 2nd July.