Mussel Reprisal 2023
Installation comprising: Roofing felt, nassa shells, limpet shells, oyster shell grit, volcanic sand, Sea Breeze scented oil, Augeo oil, Heras fences, stainless steel hose clips, Jesmonite, metal mesh, pewter, cement breeze blocks, Petrobond oil sand, tile backing board.
Dimensions Variable.

Containing the following works:

Gritty Stacker, 2023
Metal mesh, Stainless steel, plaster, Jesmonite, pigment, sharp sand, ballast, volcanic sand, pearl farmed oyster shells, cement,  Nassa shells, oyster shell grit, glass, oil stick, turpentine, linseed oil, Sea Breeze scented oil, Ausego Oil
200 x 130 x 100cm

Familiar, 2023
Mesh, plaster, stainless steel, Jesmonite, pigment, asphalt, wax, pewter, epoxy putty, oyster shell, pebbles, fishing flies
116 x 99 x 83 cm

Bouquet, 2022
Mesh, plaster, stainless steel, Jesmonite, pigment, asphalt, shell, black sand, fishing wire, embroidery thread
250 x 100 x 90

Carrier Snail, 2023
Salvaged extruded plastic, mesh, plaster, Jesmonite, pigment, volcanic rock, shell, tile adhesive, sharp sand, ballast, glass
86 x 45 x 36cm

The Aimless Life (Is a Chimera), 2022
Mesh, plaster, stainless steel, Jesmonite, pigment, black sand, ballast, embroidery thread, asphalt
90 x 30 x 20 cm

ARTWORK STATEMENT
Reading’s installation “Mussel Reprisal” takes as its starting point the idea that a mussel is capable of protecting itself by clamping its shell around the tongue of a predatory fox. The installation comprises building materials, shells and collected rubble from Reading’s studio floor to consider the protective urges of more-than-human life forms.

Reading’s “Gritty Stacker” sculpture draws inspiration from the behaviour of oysters, mimicking the way young oysters, known as spat, seek safety by attaching themselves to older mollusks within a colony. By replicating this phenomenon, she highlights the significance of life below water, which focuses on preserving and restoring marine ecosystems.

“Familiar”, takes the form of a hollow shell designed to protect an urban fox. Influenced by Japanese folklore surrounding Kitsune, a fox spirit capable of shapeshifting into human form, Reading emphasises the connection between humans and wildlife. Through this work, she encourages viewers to consider life on land, which promotes the conservation and restoration of terrestrial ecosystems.

BIOGRAPHY
Anna Reading (she/her) is a London based Artist (b. 1987, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK) working primarily in sculpture and drawing. Her work celebrates forms of growth and survival within inhospitable environments. Combining mixtures of surplus industrial material, her works clutch, wedge and bind matter into new embraces. Rooted in experiences of vulnerability and exposure, the works emulate natural forms of protection and shelter.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
9 – Industry Innovation and Infrastructure
11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities
12 – Responsible Consumption and Production
13 – Climate Action
14 – Life Below Water
15 – Life on Land