Ant Pearce’s practice focuses on the concept that man is condemned to exist imprisoned. He explores the fragility of life, drawing on human psychology. Influenced by Freud’s theories and the writings and philosophies of Dostoyevsky, Kafka and Camus, his work alludes to the idea that the omnipresent external authority is what brings about man’s aberrant destructive behaviours.
His latest series of work focuses solely on the British super-model, icon and muse that is Kate Moss. Using found images going as far back as 1993, each work examines the human condition, dissecting the psychical personality while encompassing aspects of narcissism, gender and the life and death drives, as discussed by Freud.
These concepts are communicated through ‘breaking’ and ‘reforming’ the image(s), using regularly shaped blocks (and pixilated images) in combination with the straight and diagonal lines formed by sewing thread onto paper. Each piece embraces the idea of deconstruction and the spiritual importance of the line as explored by Dutch avant-garde, constructivist Theo van Doesburg. The colour palette for this series was inspired by the British luxury fashion house Burberry.
Through a web of cross-references between colour, medium and form, the viewer is positioned before the work in discourse between order and chaos. Each work brings into visibility the sense of imprisonment and anxiety, which underlie human existence, and the instinctive desire to return to an inanimate state.
Ant is an emerging British artist, based in London. He attended Central Saint Martins School of Art and Design, after which he studied the MA Visual Arts course at Camberwell College of Arts, graduating with Merit in late 2012. He has shown in London, the UK, Europe and the US.Artists