ANNA G. DEAN

My work explores ideas about chaos and order through an iterative investigation into materials and processes. My studio practice oscillates between the digital and the analog. An intuitive hand drawn mark may become a digital scan, which might then become a steel sculpture, which may then become a shadow within a video projection, and so forth and so on. The process of pushing an idea through many different materials and processes leads to a perpetual series of investigations, and each iteration becomes a new path of inquiry. This obsessive way of working comes from my relentless sense of curiosity and wonder.

 

My life has been shaped by many events that were out of my control - beginning with the death of my Mother when I was a child. This has fostered a deep sense of fascination with chaos and order, and begs the question - does the universe follow a pattern or does it unfold in a series of random events? To consider these ideas, I investigate materials and processes that allow for a high level of control (often technological processes such as laser cutting or CNC plotting), and I combine those with media and techniques that cannot be controlled (such as dripping ink, wafting smoke, or drifting clouds). The tension between my own desire to predict every aspect of the work - combined with the excitement that comes from the potential for unexpected things to happen - places me directly at the intersection of chaos and order within my own artistic journey.