Portfolio

Anna Guthrie

This page provides examples of my work from 2022 to 2024. Here you will find ceramic works, 2D paintings and art zines that are a reflexive and integral part of my creative practice. Zines always accompany a fully realised body of my work as a creative artifact and a deliberate form of art based documentation.

This website also features my practice blog where I write about my work and conceptual underpinnings among other interests. Feel free to browse the website to see many more ceramic and 2D works.

Sculptural Ceramic Vessel by Anna Guthrie

Attending Arcadia

This ceramic vessel is from the artists “Arcadian Apertures” series of ceramic works produced in late 2023. Made from stoneware, slips and oxides, with a raw finish, fired in oxidation. Inspired by the work of Australian architect Richard Le Plastrier, architectural elements and geometry. I have written a practice post about the conceptual foundations for this series of works, which can be read here .

Arcadian Apertures #2

Arcadian Apertures. 2023. Stoneware, slips, oxides, raw fired in oxidation. This work was awarded 2nd Prize in the Emerging Artist Category of the Flying Arts Alliance, Regional Art Award, 2023. Anna Guthrie received the Emerging Artist Highly Commended Award for her work.”
This artwork embodies a mindful exploration of the coexistence between human-made structures, and natural spaces through the metaphor of Arcadia. Through the tactile textures and inviting apertures, this artwork seeks to engage viewers in a reflection on the delicate interplay of geometry and the earth in the context of the Arcadian ideal.

Arcadian Aperture Vessel #12

Vessel #12. 2023. Stoneware. Slips, oxides, raw fired in reduction.

Passage

Passage. 2023. Earthenware, slips, oxides, raw fired in oxidation.

“Passage” is a contemplative ceramic pairing, intertwining the tranquil austerity of Japanese urns with the raw textures of the Australian landscape. Reflecting on architect Richard Le Plastrier’s harmonious architecture, these vessels carry within their forms a blend of geometry and art, punctured by apertures that symbolise our journey through space and time. This grouping of two urns is a dual meditation on the symbiotic relationship between human ingenuity and nature’s beauty, inviting viewers to explore the serenity and balance of an Arcadian ideal. This work embodies Anna’s exploration of the intimate connections between architecture, nature, and the emotional imprints of place.

Zine – Passage

This zine accompany’s Anna’a ceramic works titled “Passage,” and is a pivotal extension of her artistic expression and intellectual exploration. Developed concurrently with the ceramic work, the zine is a compendium of personal reflections, hand-drawn illustrations, and insights, acting as both a conceptual and contextual companion to my artwork. It serves as a bridge between the tangible and the conceptual, enriching the viewer’s understanding of the artwork’s core essence. “These zines, while deeply personal and reflective of my creative journey, also stand as my own version of artist books, offering a tangible engagement with my artistic narrative and the broader themes I explore”. Anna Guthrie.

Passage Zine Front & Back

Passage Zine #1

Pages 1-2

Pages 3-4

Pages 4-5

Pages 6-7

Pages 7-8

Inside Flap page 9

Inside flap page 9

Pages 10-11

Inside flap page 11

Pages 13-14

Pages 15-16

pages 17-18

Pages 18-19

Pages 20-21

Desire Pathways – 2022

“Changing Terrain” represents the culmination of Anna Guthrie’s Honours program at James Cook University, a project that intertwines ceramic and 2D artworks to explore the evolving landscape of Deception Bay, Queensland. This body of work, developed through a practice-led research approach, delves into the rich tapestry of the area’s transformation from pristine bushland to urbanised space, weaving in themes of indigenous history and colonial impact.

The project manifested in a series of earthenware vessels and visual art pieces, each serving as an abstract narrative map of Deception Bay’s transition. These pieces were showcased at JCU and the Deception Bay Public Library, reflecting Anna’s journey and engagement with the locale as a walking artist. The artists interaction with this specific environment, spanning over two and a half years, has been a fundamental source of inspiration, allowing her to gather stories and form a profound connection and sense of place.

A significant highlight was the commission by Moreton Bay Regional Council to create a 100m2 mural at the Deception Bay Library, based upon the abstract surface design on her Changing Terrain ceramic artworks. This public artwork (completing in late 2024), accompanied by community workshops, encapsulates Anna’s commitment to engaging with and contributing to my community through art. These endeavors underscore her philosophy of art as a medium for dialogue, education, and exploration.

Furthermore, Anna’s participation in an environmental art symposium at JCU, initiated by Associate Professor Dr. Robyn Glade-Wright, allowed the artist to extend her inquiry into the intersection of art, environment, and climate change, particularly through her work “Not Your Cup of Tea” which comments on the effects of Dredging in the Caboolture River on native birds and aquatic animals.

Changing Terrain, embodying her artistic journey and community engagement, seeks to underscore the role of visual arts in narrating environmental and societal changes, fostering community dialogue, and exploring new frontiers of artistic expression within the context of a prospective Master of Visual Art program.

Changing Terrain Ceramic Vessels and 2D Visual artworks.. 2022. Ceramics: Earthenware, underglaze, slips and oxides. Fired in Oxidation. 2D Visual artworks: Drawing, collagraph printmaking. A collection of pieces from the Changing Terrain series is showcased in the gallery below.