Ana Carter

Born 1969, Camperdown
Bachelor of Fine Arts
Graduation show: 2007
Graduation ceremony: 2009

Artwork in Space YZ  

Which - an overlay to my obsession, 2006-2007
Polaroids, acrylic wool
190 x 190 cm

Which - an overlay to my obsession (detail), 2006-2007

Which - an overlay to my obsession (front and back), 2006-2007

My love of imagery came from my 1970’s childhood, Viewfinders, Super8 video cameras and especially Polaroids. An instant marker of time, place and emotion.

In my early 30’s I was diagnosed postnatal depression. I turned to the field of photography and the world fine arts. This world gave a silence to a constant process of thoughts especially image and video. 

During my second year of studies I started working with a Polaroid camera, documenting the events not just at university but events outside, with my son, my community and working at a gallery technician.

There was a dislocation with my condition and collecting images somehow allowed me an awareness to my life.

I first displayed these Polaroids at the YZ gallery space in 2005, invited a small group and titled the exhibition ‘Secret Garden’.

As I began using the camera more I turned to manipulating the film. Quite by accident a batch of film malfunctioned and I was left with the developing emulsion in tacked at the base of the Polaroid. Squeezing the emulsion up into the window box of the Polaroid began my experimental stage with this film. Later I started to deconstruct the Polaroid opened the images beyond a containment of a solid surface. I could say I was stripping away primary influences, but I was more intrigued with deconstruction.

While I was experimenting with film I was also working with weaving and crocheting wire. I started with this style in my first year of university studies. Dues to my 1980’s textiles background I felt easy turning to it in my creative strategy assignments. Most classes lectures would see me weave, crochet or manipulate coloured florist wire while they ran the class, I could focus. So stitching the Polaroids together was the natural next step.  

It took over six months to stitch the individual squares and then stitch them together with an acrylic wool, including punching holes through the film to weave the stitches in. When the stitching was completed I commenced working on the back of the overlay, scratching into the white film emulsion. It was first displayed in Campbelltown Arts Centre 2009.

I commenced my fine arts studies in 2004. I was a 35 year old single mum, with a five year old amongst a sea of energetic youth who just finished their HSC the year prior. It was surreal. It became my world over the next four years, exploring multiple disciplines over two campuses. I crossed over in several screen arts units finding the freedom at this university to explore what drove me to find my world. A world I documented and engaged with, though I stood more times at the edge then diving into the abyss of the rabbit hole.

During my first year, we were advised that our Fine Arts & Screen Arts Bachelor would terminated after our graduation. Whether this was the reason I extended my studies from three to four and a half years. Crossed over to Screen Art units, even crossing over to humanity as word spread that the university was condensing their units. The fine and visual arts, performance even parts of humanity were dying and I didn’t want to let it go. Throughout the years studying at the School of Contemporary Arts (SoCA) I was involved in several protests and gathering to bring to light the closing. I suppose in someway the university and I had a contract until I completed my bachelor. At one university gathering I outline this when they tried to move the school to the performance space. It was extremely sad to witness such a world die, A school who understood Western Sydney culture, who became a victim to the bottom line and shareholders.

Those who are allowed to touch my box