Carl Anderson West Sussex, United Kingdom
b. Shoreham-by-Sea, UK, currently lives in West Sussex.
Carl Anderson’s sculptural work is deeply shaped by a personal encounter with violence—he was the victim of a life-threatening assault involving a knife. With few ways of processing such a traumatising event, he found himself compulsively researching and making forms of medieval armour. Anderson's work is fuelled by this transformative experience, and, at its core, is an unfettered exploration of the roots of violence, the dynamics of masculinity, and the ways authority and power are wielded and challenged.
Working in clay—a material used by humans for millennia—Anderson creates forms that are both hard and fragile, a powerful metaphor for the core drivers at the root of overt and toxic masculinity.
Using a visual language that reflects on masculinity, duty, and power, his recent ceramic sculptures draw inspiration from medieval armour, animal traps, and barbed wire—objects that simultaneously evoke menace and nobility. These forms reimagine historical symbols of protection and control, connecting them to contemporary notions of authority.
Anderson’s work captures the inherent tension between strength and vulnerability, investigating how his objects embody both power and fragility. Through this duality, he questions the complex and often contradictory nature of masculinity, authority, and belief.
Artwork
Das Boot, Glazed Stoneware Clay, 2020
Long-Toed Sabaton, Glazed Stoneware Clay, 2020
Bear-Paw Sabaton, Glazed Stoneware Clay, 2020
A-OK, Glazed Stoneware, 2020, £3,200.00
Gauntlet III, Glazed Stoneware Clay, 2020, £2,750.00
Griffin Bascinet, Glazed Stoneware, 2020, £3,500
Bear Trap II, Glazed Stoneware, 2020, £1,200
Projects and exhibitions
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New Raw Green18/07/2020 — 15/08/2020 Carl Anderson, Matija Bobičić, Jonathan DeDecker, Sigrid Holmwood, Emily Hunt, Gibson / Martelli, Anthony Miler, David Surman, Thom Trojanowski, Aviya Wyse. Curated by David Surman There is a shared assumption for those in the business of selling pictures that green isn’t good for trade. Speculations on the evils of green range from... [Read more] |
Sim Smith Gallery, London | Details |
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Potion Room14/02/2020 — 29/02/2020 THE POTION ROOM responds to the architectural properties of the gallery's latest space, up a winding staircase to the top of the tower, and showcases all manner of mythical sculptural works from emerging international, regional and London-based artists. |
Subsidiary Projects, Vauxhall, London | Details |
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JOYA: arte + ecología / AiR 201910/10/2019 — 17/10/2019 |
La Hoya de Carrascal, 04830 Vélez-Blanco, Almería, Spain | Details |