Anna Park, Thank You, 2024, 228.6 x 355.6 x 10.8 cm.
We caught up with artist Anna Park and curator Rachel Ciesla as they walked us through Park's current exhibition, Look, look. Anna Park, at the Art Gallery of WA, interviewing each other about art, life, and fashion.
Anna wears the Marc Le Bihan bronze sleeveless tulle dress with the Guidi burgundy M88 high heeled boots. Rachel wears the Comme des Garçons black open back sheer jacket.
Anna to Rachel: As a curator, you have a keen eye for detail. I’m curious, what drew you to my charcoal artwork specifically, and how do you envision it resonating with the audience in Australia?
Charcoal is such a charged medium that in your incredibly skilled hands channels the frenetic energy and the vibrancy of human existence. For me, your drawings speak to what keeps us alive and connected to others. There’s an emotional directness that pulls you in and urges you to take a second look which in our media saturated social environment is a difficult thing to achieve.
Left image: Anna Park, Just Imagine!, 2024, 177.8 x 228.6 x 10.8 cm. Right image: Anna Park, My Pleasure!, 2024, 213.4 x 177.8 x 10.8 cm.
Rachel wears Uma Wang's grey Anaya dress, dark grey lace top and black stone mules. Anna wears Marc Le Bihan's noir stretch cardigan and noir rib jersey tank.
Rachel to Anna: Your charcoal pieces evoke such emotion and depth. Can you share a bit about the personal experiences or emotions that inspire your artwork?
Much of my childhood consisted of me moving around to different places. As a young kid, the constant changes to my environment created a sense of adaptability that was a result of feeling out of place. The few constants in my life throughout this time was drawing. It allowed me to feel grounded and provided a better insight through my drawings to understand myself. In hindsight I realize much of my personal psyche is represented through my drawings. Looking back on my previous body of work made during the time I first moved to New York, it reflected much of the chaotic nature of the city and it lent to the frantic nature of my work.
Left image: Anna Park, Good Girl, 2024, 177.8 x 213.4 x 10.8 cm. Right image: Anna Park, Dangerous, 2024, 121.9 x 121.9 x 7.6 cm.
Anna wears the Comme des Garçons black pinstripe sleeveless dress with Maison Margiela tabi mary-jane shoes. Rachel wears the Comme des Garçons black open back sheer jacket and double layer bow skirt with Maison Margiela tabi loafers.
Anna to Rachel: On a lighter note, since we both share a love for fashion, I’m dying to know – what’s your all-time favorite garment in your wardrobe or piece that you can’t live without?
Honestly I’m a little restrained when it comes to fashion. My preference is always for rather ordinary clothes: oversized white shirts, trench coats, simple trousers. One piece of clothing that I cherish is a 1998 forest green army fatigue-like wool coat by Junya Watanabe when he had his line with Comme des Garçons.
Left image: Look, look. Anna Park. Installation view, The Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, 2024. L – Wishing You Well, 2024 and R- Look, look., 2024. Right Image: Anna Park, Finders Keepers, 2024, 228.6 x 355.6 x 10.8 cm.
Anna wears the Marc Le Bihan noir stretch cardigan, noir ribbed jersey tank and noir silk lace skirt with Maison Margiela tabi boots. Rachel wears Rick Owens' henna wrap jacket, henna bias pants and brown beatle bozo tractor boots.
Rachel to Anna: Your artistic process with charcoal must be quite intimate. Can you walk me through a typical day in your studio, from the moment you pick up the charcoal to the finishing touches on a piece?
I tend to start off each work with a loose thumbnail sketch. Usually drawing inspiration from different sources- I like having printed out images and books scattered around in the studio, I’ve always felt that keeping them in my peripheral informs my work. With the new body of work, I’ve been creating the foundation with cut foam and adhering them to wooden panels and covering it with papier mache. After the process of prepping the surface is complete, I will go forward with the drawing and painting. Much of my work’s exploration happens on the work itself, as I don’t do a lot of set planning prior to starting. I think the exciting part to making work resides in the feeling of the unknown. I do think finishing a piece is the hardest part though, as it seems unclear when to stop.
Left image: Anna Park, What Could Have Been, 2024, 172.7 x 228.6 x 10.8 cm. Right image: Look, look. Anna Park. Installation view, The Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, 2024. L –With Reason, 2024 and R - What Could Have Been, 2024.
Rachel wears Rick Owens' henna wrap jacket and henna bias pants. Anna wears the Marc Le Bihan noir stretch cardigan, noir ribbed jersey tank and noir silk lace skirt.
Anna to Rachel: As two women deeply involved in the art world, I’m curious, what’s the most unexpected or memorable moment you’ve experienced while curating an exhibition? Any funny stories you can share?
It’s funny you ask because everyone who comes to work at AGWA always says, “why haven’t they made this place into a tv show yet?” The art world is filled with melodrama and people are always behaving in unexpected ways. But I’ll be coy and say that working with you has been of the most rewarding experiences for me curatorially. The relationship we’ve developed over the past six months is one of openness and care with a massive injection of humour and playfulness. We both negotiated huge life changes during the development of this show and I’m certain that emotionality made its way into the show. Thank you for being so trusting of me with your work, Anna. It’s truly a privilege.
Left image: Look, look. Anna Park. Installation view, The Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, 2024. L -Don’t Mind If I Do, 2024 and R - Taste the Fruit!, 2024. Right image: Anna Park, Taste the Fruit!, 2024, 177.8 x 228.6 x 10.8 cm.
Look, look. Anna Park, is exhibiting at AGWA until the 8th of September.
All works charcoal, ink, paint, foam, paper mounted on panel.
© Anna Park, Courtesy of the artist and BLUM, Los Angeles/New York/Tokyo
Photography by Tülay Dinçel.