British artist Anne Hardy presents her sixth solo exhibition at Maureen Paley, London, with a group of floor and wall structures. Hardy’s work, begun during her residency at the Chinati Foundation in Marfa, Texas, is a reflection on the notion of materiality.

Bringing together natural elements such as earth and rock with tones reminiscent of weathered deserts and archaeological sites, Hardy transports the tranquility of natural landscapes into the heart of the unforgiving metropolis. She prompts reflection on the stark contrast between nature’s peaceful calm–our inherent connection to the earth–and the relentless fervor of urban life, where dominant values often mask our true identities and societal roles.

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Anne Hardy, ‘Being (Interloper)’, 2022-24. Artist’s clothes, tin cans crushed by trucks outside the studio, welded steel, cast pewter, cast jesmonite, jewellery, earth, wood, wire, 115 × 55 × 360 cm. Courtesy of the artist and Maureen Paley, London. Photography by Angus Mill

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Anne Hardy, ‘Being (Interloper)’, detail, 2022-24. Artist’s clothes, tin cans crushed by trucks outside the studio, welded steel, cast pewter, cast jesmonite, jewellery, earth, wood, wire, 115 × 55 × 360 cm. Courtesy of the artist and Maureen Paley, London. Photography by Angus Mill

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Hardy explains that her creations in Survival Spell originate from materials found in the unstable and shifting terrains that often escape our notice. These include ‘pockets of wild space’ within the city, neglected areas between roads, and the peripheries of constructed spaces she discovered in the remote landscapes of west Texas during her residency at the Chinati Foundation. These places also bear subtle marks of human presence, ephemeral and easily overlooked. To Hardy, these spaces represent freedom, unburdened by expectations, where anything is possible. She sees a transformative potential in these locations and their materials.

If an “interloper” is a person who becomes involved in a place or situation where they are not wanted or are considered not to belong, Being (Interloper) (2022-24) illustrates the fine line between where we are and what we contribute to the world; what we are chasing is just a false image to be accepted by society, but in the end all material things remain without a trace of ourselves. Hardy shows in Being (Interloper) that we are left with nothing and this material no longer carries any essence.

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Anne Hardy, ‘Being (Immaterial)’, 2023-24. Artist’s clothes, rusted wire, shells, welded steel, jesmonite, jewellery, cast concrete, bronze, pewter, white metal, dried plant, earth. 82 × 116 × 130 cm. Courtesy of the artist and Maureen Paley, London. Photography by Angus Mill

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Anne Hardy, ‘Being (Immaterial)’, detail, 2023-24. Artist’s clothes, rusted wire, shells, welded steel, jesmonite, jewellery, cast concrete, bronze, pewter, white metal, dried plant, earth. 82 × 116 × 130 cm. Courtesy of the artist and Maureen Paley, London. Photography by Angus Mill

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Being (Immaterial) (2023-24) continues to explore the sense of natural origin and becoming material, the combination of the spiritual and the physical, where they disintegrate into fragmented but recognisable bodies that sit or kneel directly on the floor, rooted in the earth.

In Survival Spell, Hardy awakens consciousness and makes us consider a life in tandem with nature. As children of nature, we must remember that we have roots, albeit invisible, where we imprint our spirituality and sow the seeds to develop consciousness and balance. It is crucial to develop them, and not to succumb to destruction and the pursuit of material wealth, which ultimately turns out to be fruitless.

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Anne Hardy, ‘Being (Immaterial)’, detail, 2023-24. Artist’s clothes, rusted wire, shells, welded steel, jesmonite, jewellery, cast concrete, bronze, pewter, white metal, dried plant, earth. 82 × 116 × 130 cm. Courtesy of the artist and Maureen Paley, London. Photography by Angus Mill

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Anne Hardy, ‘Solar Tank’, 2023-24. Found materials, aluminium, glass, paint, rusted wire, rust, light, steel, copper. 60 × 140 × 18 cm. Courtesy of the artist and Maureen Paley, London. Photography by Angus Mill

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Anne Hardy, ‘Seedbed (Gathering)’, 2023-24. Found materials, wire screen, rusted steel, seeds, cast pewter, wire, glass, aluminium and light. 127 × 153 × 25 cm. Courtesy of the artist and Maureen Paley, London. Photography by Angus Mill

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