CONVERGENCE — New Work by Anna Carll

convergence noun

1 : the act of converging and especially moving toward union or uniformity

example: the convergence of the three rivers

synonyms: concurrence, connection, merging, concourse, crossroads

Urban Harbor #313

36 x 80 inches — MM on hollow-core door

SOLD—Private Collection

The Urban Series

“When I first conceived the Urban Series, I was thinking of the cycle of life in relation to my Mother’s diagnosis of dementia—the painful erosion of her mind and personality. When I pursued this line of inquiry, I saw a distinct correlation between what was happening to my Mother and how nature erodes our cities, towns or villages with acts of natural disaster. Through this lens I began to see that there could be many different but convergent collections within this series—each with their own characteristics and related in form and structure.”

Within the Urban Series all the colors, shapes, textures, lines and compositions converge to convey the same concept; the exploration of city life in conflict with nature. Carll designs and creates the majority of her collage material in Photoshop and then prints the images on acid free sketch paper. “I have a lot more control over the imagery and am able to create files that explore different images of our local infrastructure through a process of layering my photos with grunge textures that cause fracturing of the forms within—much like what nature does to our communities.” This process is unique to Carll’s background in graphic design and illustration—a way to merge all of her skills from her early career with her current multi-disciplined art practice.

Viewers of this work will discover all kinds of patterns made from utility wires, city grids, wallpaper patterns, monoprint designs, architectural elements and plant life. All of this imagery is merged with fine art & handmade papers layered in the form of collage as a dense construction of form and palette choices. Carll refers to this process as “painting with paper.” Anna Carll combines painting, collage and mixed media within a multi-disciplined art practice using her own vocabulary to create powerful visuals that embody her unique vision of the world.

Karen Hewitt Hagan and her team @ Hagan Fine Art present: CONVERGENCE — New Work by Anna Carll — on view through September 2023.

Event page @ Hagan Fine Art

Opening reception: Friday September 1st — 5-8pm (This will coincide with the CGA Artwalk in downtown Charleston, SC.).

Art talk with the artist: 7-8pm.

125 Church Street

Charleston, SC 29401

+1-843-901-8124

The Flying Fruit Bowl — Dialogue of a Creative Journey →

“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.”

~Thomas Merton

Urban Collage #297 — Available @ A Gallery Fine Art

It’s not often that I look back at the entire creative journey that has brought me to where I am today as an abstract artist, but I recently had one hell of a conversation with Aaron S of The Flying Fruit Bowl. TFFB is both a platform and a podcast series that is DEDICATED TO THE DISCUSSION AND EXPLORATION OF ART AND THE CREATIVE PROCESS. Aaron is based in the UK and brings to you his passion for long conversations that meander around your particular journey with insightful questions that make you see things in a new light. A photographer himself, Aaron understands the sacrifices and demands that revolve around a creative path in modern society.

In a world that is increasingly less private, where can we go to just listen? Finding sources of authentic content has gone the way of the dinosaur—pretty much extinct. Aaron and his team have produced some fantastic podcasts that I’ve listened to on TFFB, and is one source that I will treasure and return to again for creative content that’s worth my time.

If you’d like to listen to my interview with Aaron, it’s been split into parts 1 and 2 — each 1.5 hours of dialogue that dissected my creative journey:

Part 1: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2NZ1UqEnOX2MJzjXEQvuqJ

Part 2: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4THOLHRrQuBMFYQJZnIm0Z

Connection—Gratitude for New Relationships

A couple of weeks ago I completed one of those puzzles on Instagram where actual words were embedded into random letters across and down to form a large square. The game was that the first four words you “see” are what defines your current attitude towards life. My four words were connection, gratitude, strength and care.

As I reflect on this past year, and imagine my direction for 2023, what I deeply feel is gratitude. Since November of 2021 I have picked up four new galleries that are reshaping and reinforcing my art practice in unexpected ways. Each new gallery connection has upheld my belief that there is real substance in the new directions I have taken with my Urban Series. Over the last several years I have recognized and refined interpretations of urban life here in Chattanooga through a birds-eye-view of city streets and structures in conflict with nature. This new work reflects the strength and determination of both humanity and Gaia in a push/pull dance for the dominance of Earth. The emergence of this body of work is getting a lot of interest and appreciation not only by the public but the purveyors of art as well.

Urban Botanical #287 is now available @ Craighead Green Gallery

The newest association is with Craighead Green Gallery located in the heart of the Dallas Texas design district. Kenneth Craighead saw an ad in Asheville Made Magazine with Citron Gallery where Rand Kramer featured my Urban Botanicals—Citron was the first of these four new galleries to represent me in this latest web of connections (the cover of that magazine issue highlighted one of Craighead Green’s artists). Kenneth immediately contacted me and we began a dialogue that lead to a mutual understanding of representation.

Craighead Green Gallery’s Showroom Entrance

One of the many things that I love about Craighead Green is their long-standing reputation both locally and nationally of providing outstanding representation for creators they value. They also showcase a wide variety of contemporary art that reflects all manner of theory mixed with creative form within a large 6,000 square foot space. Craighead Green has been in operation since 1992 which shows not only a true dedication to art but also the business acumen to weather the ups-and-downs of the crazy art market. I couldn’t be in better hands moving forward into the future.

Urban Botanical #288 now available @ Craighead Green Gallery

As this current journey continues to unfold, I would like give some credit to my Instagram profile that I have meticulously built over the last seven years—never underestimate the power of social media. This endeavor has finally paid off with lots of exposure and also gives me the opportunity to keep fellow artists, collectors and galleries up to date on my studio happenings. Yet another form of connection (whether dubious or not) in the art of building an online community. For me, connection = growth not only personally but professionally.

For more information on Craighead Green Gallery check out their website @ www.craigheadgreen.com.

View my Instagram profile @annacarllart

Emergence—New Adventures in Art

Most of us creators have been surprised at how the pandemic has affected the art market. With the collapse of the event industry, we’re seeing a renaissance emerge with brick and mortar gallery’s across the globe. There is still a part of me that feels guilt about the prosperity that the pandemic has brought to me. Even though I’m now busier than ever, I’m still maintaining a mindset of acknowledging and expressing daily, gratitude in a time of loss (I borrow this phrase from a fabulous artist I follow on Instagram, Daryl Burnett—@darylburnett).

At this time and place, I am pleased to announce three new gallery representations. Last fall I joined the Citron Gallery in Asheville, NC—the incredible artist Rand Kramer’s new studio/gallery on Biltmore Avenue. This spring I joined the family of Higher Art Gallery in Traverse City, MI, and this coming Fall, I’ll begin a relationship with Hagan Fine Art in Charleston, SC. I feel right at home with all of these fabulous galleries and hope to maintain a long lasting marriage with them—for that’s what it is, a marriage. Long discussions about what is working and whats not working…coordination of social and work calendars, the general support of each other and finally, the acceptance of our place in the gallery family.

Urban Grid #78 is available @ Citron Gallery. Contact Rand Kramer @ +1-828-785-4131 for pricing.

Visit Citron Gallery in the heart of downtown Asheville, NC with fellow artists, Rand Kramer, Betty Clark, Frances Domingues, Kieta Jackson, Kento Saisho and Kerry Schroder.

Urban Collage #257 pre-sold before arriving at Higher Art Gallery. Contact Shanny Brooke @ +1-231-252-4616 for availability of other Anna Carll pieces.

Shanny Brooke of Higher Art Gallery is a fabulous artist in her own right and a wonderful art dealer committed to representing her gallery family.

I’ll be very busy over the summer designing and creating new work for Hagan Fine Art in Charleston, SC and my long-time gallery relationship with A Gallery Fine Art in Palm Desert, CA. Lisa Dempton has navigated the art market for decades with a rich history and connection to Palm Desert as A Gallery Fine Art has been a family business with deep local relationships in the community. Hagan Fine Art also has a long and deep relationship with Charleston, SC—I’m so looking forward to working with them and getting to know the Charleston art scene.

Urban Grid #88 is available @ A Gallery Fine Art in Palm Desert, CA. Contact Lisa Dempton @ +1-760-346-8885 for pricing.

The time ahead promises to continue to be uncertain with COVID being such a huge part of the global narrative, however, I feel rejuvenated by my internal endeavors in studio work and feel that gratitude in a time of loss every day as I continue to forge ahead with these new relationships.

Be well everyone…I’m sending lots of LOVE out into the world.

All the best,

~Anna Carll

What Remains: an exploration of the Erosion Series

As I quietly paint, I have both decisive moments and an earnest, listening eye. In the midst of this what occurs is nuance, serendipity, intuitive associations, chaos, and reduction. Working with abstraction allows me to explore the boundaries between positive and negative space, the use of unusual textures and the mixing of different media. I begin this work flat while adding and subtracting subtle and intense color as well as exploring various types of heavy texture. I allow the water based media to flow and puddle in the valley’s of marks and textures that were first laid down, enhancing the interaction with paint, inks or collaged hand-made papers, gradually adding multiple layers that begin to form the foundation of the urban grids, urban botanicals, character botanicals or weavings. Once color and chaos is achieved across the surface, the pieces then go up on my painting wall where I begin the reduction process.

Studio process shots of Erosion Series: Urban Grid #78

Reduction—the Erosion Series is about seeing the beauty in the natural event of decay and building an aesthetic around it. Like the Japanese wabi-sabi; the acceptance of transience and imperfection, I repurpose and create new life out of past work or begin anew on fresh panels or paper. Inside the studio and out, observing the natural decay of the life cycle has made me appreciate that within reduction the more possibility there will be.

I am fascinated with the push/pull of creating civilizations and nature taking them back. For the grid paintings I begin by taping off the areas of the surface that interest me to begin the formation of the urban street grid as I build the composition between positive and negative space. The urban botanicals focus more on the relationship between nature’s relentless botanical growth in the nooks and crannies of urban architecture. The weavings explore botanical shapes that are either on Arches 300lb watercolor paper or abstracts of sandpaper remnants from my reduction process. These begin with the warp image (the vertical strips) and are then woven with the weft (horizontal strips) to enhance the color or patterns of the piece. The final step is to stitch them together with waxed linen thread. The character botanicals explore eroded botanical shapes seen through the window of letterforms that make a hidden word. Making these paintings is as much a physical experience as a psychological one. I embrace and process the nuances of this work and use the outcome as a vehicle to communicate a narrative about humanity and the natural world around me that exists outside of language. What remains of this process comes together to form all aspects of the Erosion Series.

Gallery 111 @ the Creative Arts Guild in Dalton GA

The Creative Arts Guild in Dalton GA is a fabulous venue to house and showcase these pieces with their commitment to raising awareness of all the artistic disciplines in the community. Join us this Friday, May 3rd, from 5:30-7:30pm for the opening of several shows at CAG.

May Momentum

For many years I have considered May to be one of my favorite months of the year. Living in the South for most of my life, this month continues to be one of the prettiest, (April showers bring May flowers) and the weather is still mild before the real heat of Summer. This year my May has brought an abundance of marketing heat in my sister city of Nashville, Tennessee.

Ron York of York & Friends Fine Art really stepped up to the plate for me and initiated a series of events that have brought forth abundance in many ways. It started with an inaugural gallery talk—the first in his gallery—an interview style conversation with Paul Polycarpou of Nashville Arts Magazine. That led to Paul offering me a feature article in the May Issue and Artist of the Week the first week in May on the famous Nashville Sign off of the Broadway and West End split.

BIG really is better...

Erosion Series: Character Botanical #1

The proximity of this sign off of Broadway assures maximum visibility and really shows how serious Nashville is in promoting the arts. Nashville Arts Magazine is one of the best city dedicated art publications I've ever seen even in my graphic design days. I really enjoyed meeting Paul and bringing an intimate art talk to York & Friends Fine Art—which has quickly become like family. Kathleen Boyle wrote a fabulous feature article that focused on my Erosion Series. She asked very deep questions and peppered the interview with whit and humor which made me feel like I've known her for years.

I feel very welcomed in Nashville and have been repeatedly surprised by the depth of the contemporary art market in this fabulous city. Nashville continues to be a wealth of inspiration and vitality throughout all of the arts. If you haven't visited Nashville in a while and experienced the intensity of the arts there, you should add this great city of the South to your bucket list.

Online Nashville Arts Magazine link (My feature article starts on page 72)

The Character of Typography

Many years ago when I was in college at the University of Florida, I needed an extra class credit to complete my degree before the grant money ran out. At the beginning of my final semester the university decided that one of my credits from junior college would not be counted due to some hidden agenda to squeeze more money out of a financially strapped student—they never did give me a good reason why this credit was discounted (I've heard this story before). At the eleventh hour I spoke with one of my professors in the fine arts college about my dilemma and the next morning he cleared the way for me to produce three extra assignments using the letterpress equipment that would fulfill the additional requirements for my degree. This was the beginning of my life-long love affair with typography.

Examples of some large movable type made of wood that I used for many of my assignments in 1984

Most of the large type blocks were wood but the university had a pretty good collection of metal type as well. There is something about large letter forms that excite my imagination for I've used typography extensively in my graphic design practice over the years. What I didn't know at the time was that these letter forms would come full circle and excite me once again in my paintings thirty years later. In January I began to experiment with my botanical images in Photoshop by creating a clipping mask of different arrangements of the word "erosion" thus creating a typographical window through which you would see the botanical forms. Within the painting this was achieved by painting out the background/negative space once the botanical forms were complete to create the characters. I love this new direction and plan to make these character botanicals a regular part of my studio practice. 

It's always fascinating to me how everything we do in life has some level of value for the future. There are no true mistakes in a studio for every experimentation of form, color or line within our daily practice always leads to a new twist or direction that enhances our imagery. Once again typography has brought a new character to my work both literally and figuratively.

Old Roads to New Directions

When I get bored or frustrated with my art practice, I always return to mark making. The sheer joy of pushing paint around with no destination in mind usually leads me into a new direction.

Pressing the rewind button allows me to get back in shape with the ACT of painting and in the process I see and feel new intention...new perspective...new possibilities. Now, many people would argue that there is always a signature feel to any artists work that you can never hide—hence old roads. I have found this to be profoundly true. We seem to carry the familiar with us wherever we go. In the midst of playing again, I found that my core interest—natures life cycle—crept right back in and gave me a fresh direction for my Urban Botanicals. I've also added a time constraint to the mix which adds to the intuitive feel of the marks.

I always feel renewed in purpose when my practice grows in shape and form. These new Urban Botanical Speed Paintings are both an old and new reflection of where I'm at as an artist and will act as a pathway to larger pieces that will incorporate urban street grid patterns in twine and collage methodology. 

It really is true that yourself will follow you wherever you go.

New Work

Urban Botanical Speed Paintings are available @ Area 61 Gallery and York & Friends Fine Art

Affinity in Interests

A new Gallery Relationship in Nashville

My latest Pod and Botanical Paintings find a New Home at York & Friends Fine Art 

Every once in awhile you find a gallery relationship that clicks right from the beginning. Maybe its part of southern hospitality but I have been lucky to find not one, but two galleries here in Tennessee that make me feel like I'm part of a family. Here in Chattanooga its Area 61 on the SouthSide and now in Nashville—Ron York's gallery in the beautiful Belle Meade neighborhood on the west side feels like home.

Ron is a dedicated artist and art lover who has a way with making people feel like you've been pals for a very long time. He believes in the importance of art and expression in our everyday lives and York & Friends Fine Art is repeatedly voted as one of the best galleries in Nashville. Within 24 hours he sold one of my Botanicals and has done more promotion for me than anyone in that limited timeframe. Very much the professional—Ron is always seen as an art advocate and builds trust quickly with all who come in contact with him.

Drop by and see my latest series of pieces if your in town—Ron will always welcome you.

New Work

Erosion Series: Seeds #7 @ York & Friends Fine Art

A Return to My Textural Roots

This new body of work is the culmination of where I am today as an artist combined with getting back to my roots. As a former graphic designer, I use this training and experience to craft my discipline of book arts. Since I self-publish this work, I end up with a lot of printer proofs that I save and use as the base elements that begin the Urban Botanicals. I also embed city-block map grids into the base art using different types of twine that are either left in place or cut away as the piece evolves. This is a very laborious process that builds up many layers of recycled materials along with various types of mixed media creating a very healthy amount of visual chaos. 

Using additive and subtractive methods, I begin the reduction process by pruning and simplifying the composition keeping the areas of texture that excite me. It does not matter that much, if not all, of the photos and printer proofs are buried under layers of paint and mixed media. It is the presence and energy of these elements that enrich the surface and add to the history of the piece. I see this work as archaeological in nature — similar to the way that civilizations are built on top of each other. Through this direction in the Elemental Series, I am forging a new footprint that is leading me to a path of both discovery and coming home.

The Urban Botanicals will be on view this Friday evening, April 7th, 5:30-8:30pm at the April First Friday Show Opening @ Area 61 Gallery — 61 East Main Street, Southside, Chattanooga. 

The Nature of Art

by Marie Lauer

Many believe in the healing nature of art. Indeed, scientific studies show that art has a profound affect on healing the mind and body. Add nature to the mix and you have a powerful force for energetic rejuvenation. 

This was the approach that local artist Anna Carll used to create a breathtaking series of paintings for Erlanger Health Systems valet entrance to the Medical Mall here in Chattanooga. The Elemental Series combines nature with intense color to enliven a neglected space in the vast geography of Erlanger's campus. "My vision was to help create a space that both patients and visitors wanted to spend time in and allow the art to do it's magic" says Carll. "Most people aren't aware of the subtle affect that art has on the senses—a deep and visceral response to color and natural forms centers the mind & body and can lead us down a healing path."

The Elemental Series is about seeing the beauty in the natural cycle of life and the passage of time. Carll's images successfully portray this concept in The Four Seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer & Fall. Her modern botanicals dance along the main wall of the lobby while her panel entitled Rain graces the corner wall and reminds us that water is essential to all life on Earth. Carll also uses color as a way-finding element in the hallway leading to the C-bank of elevators. The four Elemental Impressions are colorfield studies that act as wall-level stepping stones representing the colors of the four main elements—earth, water, air & fire. Carll believes that "We are all influenced by first impressions. Subconsciously drawn to color—we will respond and head in that direction." When you round the corner into the elevator lobby you are greeted with Carll's lively depictions of The Four Elements—images that simply grab you and make your wait an enhanced experience.

This is a very cohesive suite of pieces in both palette and concept highlighting Carll's response to the basics of life. Anna Carll's work reminds us that we are all part of the elemental process.

Anna Carll Continues to Weave Illusion — New Work @ Area 61 Gallery

This October & November, Anna Carll stunned the Chattanooga community with her engaging new Weavings. On view now, this show is a must see at Area 61 Gallery on the SouthSide. Carll's dedication to a new perspective of an ancient craft sets her work apart from the crowded arena of art. Carll started as a freelance graphic designer & illustrator in Atlanta but migrated towards the fine art discipline in the late 1990's. Her journey has been as unconventional as her art. In the spring of 2014, Carll participated in a book arts workshop at The Open Press here in Chattanooga with fellow artist Hollie Berry of Art Instincts as instructor. This opened a new door in the house of art that Carll immediately applied to her painting practice as well. The Weavings are stitched together using waxed book binding thread with exquisite detail and attention to craftsmanship — a hallmark of all her work.

Area 61 is the Southside's most eclectic gallery — approachable and casual, this gallery is dedicated to showcasing the work of local artists. This next week is the last week of the show.

Come out and see Carll's work at Area 61 Gallery — 61 East Main Street — Chattanooga, TN

Publish or Perish

In this brave new art world since the Crash artists must learn to wear many different hats. Gone are the days of quietly working away in your studio, having one sell-out show a year and getting free publicity from all the media available. Now we have to be fully computer literate, navigate the social media quagmire, pay to "boost" our Facebook posts, keep the blog posts coming and find all the new venues for selling our work. Many of the national galleries are making artists pay "wall rent," and all the shipping of our pieces to and from the gallery, pay for half of all marketing for the work AND still want 50% of the sales. Museums won't even look at you unless you have an MFA after your name.

When did all this happen? Was this really the post-nuclear fallout of the Crash? The truth is — this change in the art world started about 25 years ago when museums started the mega-shows and making you buy tickets for them even if you have a membership card. At about the same time, universities started expanding their MFA programs, only recognizing neo-pop art as valid and began drowning us in installation art. Let's not forget the rise of the global Art Fairs. All the top-flight artists copy one another and these fairs are now looking like high-end art shopping malls. Most of the new work there is just, (excuse me), butt-ugly. 

But I digress. This was supposed to be a blog about media, which it is. All this feeds into my main point: the only good publicity left is local magazines and outlets in cities like Chattanooga, Tennessee. Local media doesn't care about galleries "wall rent," MFA's or art fairs. They want to publish what local people care about—what's happening in their city.

Many years ago a good friend and mentor said to me: "For artists, there is no such thing as good or bad publicity — if you're being written about, the people will come..."

Last week our local magazine The Pulse published their annual state of the arts issue which focuses on up-and-coming artists in Chattanooga. I was lucky enough to be one of the artists profiled for the issue. For the first time in a long time I wanted to read a magazine from front to back. Gary Poole, the editor of The Pulse, did a smashing job of balancing content with advertising and giving 12 local artists some free publicity while at the same time highlighting our careers through great freelance writing.

This is what the art world SHOULD be about. What are artists really doing? What are their passions as they work in the studio? Show me some great art of people I care about and help to keep art alive rather than perishing away quietly as the world sleeps.

Subtle Shifts Can Be Huge

There are many things in life that influence us as seekers—especially artists. As a trained observer you would think that surprise and serendipity would be commonplace in the studio, but sometimes these observations can affect you in ways that alter meaning and purpose. 

The longer I am on the creative path—the more I realize that subtle shifts become huge influences in my work. The current shift started as a rudimentary exercise in cutout sketches. I was needing something more from the "feeling" of the Pods in my Erosion Series and started playing with marbled papers. Seeing the swirling patterns, colors and metallics in the papers gave me the impression of both micro and macro cells that imply a narrative of the life cycle—the very core of the Erosion Series. This lead me to believe that I could create this effect within the painted pods and shift the work in a subtle but profound way.

I have long felt that something was missing from my Pod paintings—the illusion of a strong life pattern bursting with energy and vitality. This new direction has given me a vision of what the potential of my Erosion Series can become.

Flag Book Finds a New Home

My recent Flag Book entitled: We are Slowly Undermined, which features images and copy from my Urban Erosion Series has just sold to a local collector.

It's so hard to let some of our babies go but I know that this piece has gone to a wonderful new home.

Back in — A Gallery Fine Art

My long standing relationship with A Gallery Fine Art in Palm Desert, CA, is finally re-established in this brave new world that has emerged from the art market shakedown after the crash.

I am so grateful to be back in the saddle with the wonderful staff at A Gallery. Lisa and her family are fine people and I know my work is in good hands once again.

2016 is shaping up to be a great year!