Text by Lindsey Thompson, MIMA Gallery Assistant
Francisca Aninat
Interior/Exterior Field, 2007
Mixed media: fragmented canvasses, cardboard, newspapers and threads
Dimensions variable
In Interior/Exterior Field, layer upon layer of cardboard is interspersed with newspapers, shredded paintings on canvas and hessian or jute coffee sacks, with brightly coloured woven threads separating and hanging from the cloth at the edges, creating a sense of movement and depth.
Interior/Exterior Field was made with meticulous attention to structure and order, with layers graduating inwards and upwards, creating a concave form that almost resembles an armchair.
The torn newspaper articles written in several languages draw the eye in but are illegible, perhaps alluding to the artist's travels. Strips of painted canvas offer a small glimpse of an image: what did the paintings originally depict and why were they ripped to pieces? Apparently discarded and torn up, they seem to have gained in importance and value as they become part of this complex assemblage.
Through her work, Aninat recalls feelings of homesickness whilst being away from the mountainous terrain of Chile, her homeland. In Interior/Exterior Field, the artist has recreated a landscape which, in its resemblance to rock strata, evokes a sense of her home country and, in its embracing form, suggests comfort and familiarity.
