As part of our Artist In Residence program, select Assembly Label storefronts are transforming into temporary gallery spaces that celebrate the work of some of our favourite local artists. For the windows of our Bondi and Mosman store, we’ve invited local artist Annalisa Ferraris to create two exclusive works.
To celebrate their installation, we spoke with Annalisa to learn more about her artistic process, the particular kind of energy she cultivates in her studio and what inspired these original works.
Annalisa wears the Ari Double Breasted Linen Jacket in Oat with the Meike Rib Tank in White and the Ari Wide Leg Linen Pant in Oat.
Annalisa is known for her expressive minimalist paintings but saw this as an opportunity to create something entirely new, with two complementary works that explore shadows in sculpture-like forms.
Tell us about the works you've created exclusively for the storefronts, Paravent I and Paravent II?
Paravent I and Paravent II are my first foray into sculptural work. I wanted the pieces to blur the lines between painting, sculpture and functional art. Both pieces reflect my hard-edge minimalist painting background whilst conveying a continued exploration of shadow, further pushing the illusion of depth into a physical form. The idea behind the works came from Le Corbusier’s Paravent (French for ‘screen’). I wanted to pay homage to the famous architect whilst developing my practice and combining my love of sculpture and function with painting.
When do you like to paint? How do you find the ‘flow'?
I like painting best in the morning, after some form of exercise, when the light is beaming into the studio and the city is still waking up. It’s so calm, both in my mind and on the streets, and it’s probably the most hope-filled, uninterrupted part of the day. Unfortunately, exercise is the only real way to get me focused for long periods of time.
What kinds of subjects do you feel most drawn to?
Architecture, furniture, fashion and of course, the work of other artists. I love cities and walking through them, the big block-like buildings surrounding and engulfing you. I’m obsessed with their clean lines—and the ever-changing shadows they cast—with the orientation of the sun. The chaos of a city, of people running all over the place, is in such a dichotomy with its form of minimal structural clean lines and hard surfaces. It’s that tension that I love.
Tell us about your studio; how would you describe its environment?
It’s funny because my home is very minimal and usually very clean, whereas the studio is in utter chaos. Masking tape is on just about every surface, there is little structure or order and paint splatters and drips are on every wall. But it’s oddly calm in all its chaos.
Annalisa wears the Ari Double Breasted Linen Jacket in Oat with the Meike Rib Tank in White and the Ari Wide Leg Linen Pant in Oat.
Where are you looking for inspiration at present?
At the moment, I’m looking at architecture, fellow artists, furniture in upcoming auctions and interiors. A good friend and architect, Daniel Boddam, has a minimal sophistication and elegance to his work that is a constant source of inspiration. I regularly trawl upcoming auctions for furniture, jewellery and art. Leonard Joel and Shapiro are always full of beautiful Art Deco treasures, if not to buy than to simply be inspired by. A friend and fellow artist Marisa Purcell’s work is the pinnacle of minimal elegance, her ability to pair colours and evoke feelings is like no other. Always a source of inspiration.
Do you have an idea of what you'll begin working on next?
Always! I am going to continue working on more Paravents. I’ll be exhibiting a couple more in a group show in Brisbane in November and at Sydney Contemporary, should it go ahead. I want to continue to push myself to blur the lines between painting, sculpture and furniture, working towards a solo exhibition—exciting things to come.
A special thanks to Adam Robinson Design for supplying the beautiful pot plant in our Bondi store.