Anna Barlow

Anna was born in Bristol in 1982 and in 2005 she graduated from the Bath Spa University College with BA (Hons) in Ceramics. Since 2012 she has exhibited extensively both nationally and internationaly.

"I am fascinated by the way we eat food, especially by the rituals around celebrational or indulgent treats that have developed; the way they are assembled, displayed and then eaten. I am also interested in how food tells a story of the people and place it’s in. A full stand of ice creams could suggest a hot day or treats abandoned for some mysterious reason.

The beauty of food left to melt and ooze holds a fascination for me. It is something that is usually over looked and temporary but this can be captured and frozen in time with clay and glaze. I have focused on ice cream as it is such a momentary and yet memorable treat that most of us have experienced and therefore can evoke memories of sensations and tastes, as well as prompt a fantasy of desired indulgences.

I am firstly inspired by the materials that I use. Clay, porcelain and glaze have so many wonderful possibilities and often translate well to represent food. My aim is to combine these techniques to create a “visual edibility” to the work; it is up to the imagination of the viewers as to how they will taste…"