Anne Garvey is a contemporary visual artist based in Oakland, California. Though her artwork spans a variety of media, she is primarily known for her realistic paintings of people and tangled objects. Garvey’s work represents both the inner and outer realities of human existence. With a strong sense of connection between body and mind, Garvey incorporates her interest in mental states such as anxiety, hope, anticipation, and despair. Her continued work with youth and victims of trauma further influence these themes, with cords, yarn, branches, and other objects serving as metaphors for thought processes and problem solving.
Garvey describes the act of physically painting as cathartic, for herself as well as the viewer, creating tangles that will never be solved. In doing so, we are reminded of the almost constant battles we face within ourselves, while recognizing the shared commonality of those challenges.
A graduate of the San Francisco Art Institute and Saint Mary’s College, Garvey has exhibited, taught, and collaborated with fellow artists for the past decade. Exhibitions have included Axis Gallery in Sacramento, LA Art Core in Los Angeles, and Root Division in San Francisco. Her painting 'Hesitation' was featured in the publication Memoir Magazine in 2017. In addition, Garvey has participated in residencies as far as the Hoi An Orphanage in Vietnam, and, most recently, the North Street Collective in Willits, California.
Garvey describes the act of physically painting as cathartic, for herself as well as the viewer, creating tangles that will never be solved. In doing so, we are reminded of the almost constant battles we face within ourselves, while recognizing the shared commonality of those challenges.
A graduate of the San Francisco Art Institute and Saint Mary’s College, Garvey has exhibited, taught, and collaborated with fellow artists for the past decade. Exhibitions have included Axis Gallery in Sacramento, LA Art Core in Los Angeles, and Root Division in San Francisco. Her painting 'Hesitation' was featured in the publication Memoir Magazine in 2017. In addition, Garvey has participated in residencies as far as the Hoi An Orphanage in Vietnam, and, most recently, the North Street Collective in Willits, California.
Published on May 19th, 2022. Artist responses collected in months previous.
What are you currently excited about in your art practice?
Recently, I shifted to working on paper again, and this automatically forces me to approach the work as a drawing, loosening me up a lot. I am really excited about the dynamic between energetic, gestural sketching and more refined painting. It reminds me of the tension we experience between over-thinking/constantly questioning ourselves and purely emotional expression, which has always been a little scary to me.
I’ve also been using images of seaweed a lot: drawing, painting, and even experimenting with sculpting kelp-like forms from tangled objects like yarn, ribbon, and paper strips cut out of my journals. Seaweed is much more complicated to represent, but I’m drawn to it because it's an interesting metaphor for our unconscious- sort of ugly and beautiful at the same time.
What were some of the challenges you faced last year as an artist? Was your work/ art practice affected by the pandemic this year, if so how?
My biggest challenge by far this past year dealt with the studio itself. I had to move out of the larger space I shared with other artists, and into a very small room at home with little privacy. I’m currently still working at home, but have set up a better, roomier situation. I do miss working in an environment alongside other artists, so I’ve had to be intentional about connecting with art-friends much more.
Another major challenge has been returning to full-time teaching. It is definitely not an ideal situation, not only because my physical time is reduced in the studio, but my mental energy as well. I’m trying to remember that circumstances ebb and flow, and an art practice is a marathon, not a sprint. I don’t believe I have the insight yet as to how the pandemic has truly affected my life (or anyone else’s, for that matter), but I believe change is inevitable.
What does a typical day in the studio (or wherever you're making work) look like for you these days? What time of day are you at your studio, what are your studio must haves (ex: music, coffee, tools, etc), and what does your creative space look like?
During the week (ideally) I spend late afternoons to early evenings in the studio, which is also a great way to unwind from my sometimes stressful teaching job. On days I’m not teaching I prefer to start in the morning and paint all day. Coffee is an absolute must, as well as a decent playlist- different genres of music for different moods of course. I’m a restless person by nature, so I get up and move as much as possible. Although I'm working from home now, I actually feel incredibly grateful for the space, and the fact that I can step in anytime I’m there, use it to decompress, write, or just contemplate the work.
What resources for artists have you found helpful that may be helpful for other artists?
Honestly, the resources I’ve been gravitating to this past year have dealt mostly with mental health and how to keep going in the face of challenges. I use the Calm app on a daily basis, and I write in journals almost obsessively just to keep sane. Specifically for art motivation, I read and re-read two books: Jerry Saltz’ How to Be an Artist, and Making Your Life as an Artist by Andrew Simonet. Normally, I have a lot of skepticism about self-help and career guides for artists, but I find I need reminders that we’re not alone out there, and both of these books have the right combination of practicality and inspiration.
What in your art career are you looking forward to in the upcoming year? Do you have any specific goals or projects in mind?
I will definitely be working on a better balance of (teaching) work and studio time. Prioritizing my art practice is an on-going battle, but I feel as if I’m conquering that as life goes on.
Artistically, I am excited about moving forward with and developing my current body of work. Gathering source material is another component I enjoy and that incorporates not only models, but also trips to various beaches to find and photograph seaweed (not a bad way to spend the day). As I experiment more with materials, specifically works on paper as well as sculpture, I am developing ideas for an installation that would encompass a variety of media. I’d love to create a sort of kelp forest of the mind for people to experience, and continue exploring ways to connect with others through the work.
What are you currently excited about in your art practice?
Recently, I shifted to working on paper again, and this automatically forces me to approach the work as a drawing, loosening me up a lot. I am really excited about the dynamic between energetic, gestural sketching and more refined painting. It reminds me of the tension we experience between over-thinking/constantly questioning ourselves and purely emotional expression, which has always been a little scary to me.
I’ve also been using images of seaweed a lot: drawing, painting, and even experimenting with sculpting kelp-like forms from tangled objects like yarn, ribbon, and paper strips cut out of my journals. Seaweed is much more complicated to represent, but I’m drawn to it because it's an interesting metaphor for our unconscious- sort of ugly and beautiful at the same time.
What were some of the challenges you faced last year as an artist? Was your work/ art practice affected by the pandemic this year, if so how?
My biggest challenge by far this past year dealt with the studio itself. I had to move out of the larger space I shared with other artists, and into a very small room at home with little privacy. I’m currently still working at home, but have set up a better, roomier situation. I do miss working in an environment alongside other artists, so I’ve had to be intentional about connecting with art-friends much more.
Another major challenge has been returning to full-time teaching. It is definitely not an ideal situation, not only because my physical time is reduced in the studio, but my mental energy as well. I’m trying to remember that circumstances ebb and flow, and an art practice is a marathon, not a sprint. I don’t believe I have the insight yet as to how the pandemic has truly affected my life (or anyone else’s, for that matter), but I believe change is inevitable.
What does a typical day in the studio (or wherever you're making work) look like for you these days? What time of day are you at your studio, what are your studio must haves (ex: music, coffee, tools, etc), and what does your creative space look like?
During the week (ideally) I spend late afternoons to early evenings in the studio, which is also a great way to unwind from my sometimes stressful teaching job. On days I’m not teaching I prefer to start in the morning and paint all day. Coffee is an absolute must, as well as a decent playlist- different genres of music for different moods of course. I’m a restless person by nature, so I get up and move as much as possible. Although I'm working from home now, I actually feel incredibly grateful for the space, and the fact that I can step in anytime I’m there, use it to decompress, write, or just contemplate the work.
What resources for artists have you found helpful that may be helpful for other artists?
Honestly, the resources I’ve been gravitating to this past year have dealt mostly with mental health and how to keep going in the face of challenges. I use the Calm app on a daily basis, and I write in journals almost obsessively just to keep sane. Specifically for art motivation, I read and re-read two books: Jerry Saltz’ How to Be an Artist, and Making Your Life as an Artist by Andrew Simonet. Normally, I have a lot of skepticism about self-help and career guides for artists, but I find I need reminders that we’re not alone out there, and both of these books have the right combination of practicality and inspiration.
What in your art career are you looking forward to in the upcoming year? Do you have any specific goals or projects in mind?
I will definitely be working on a better balance of (teaching) work and studio time. Prioritizing my art practice is an on-going battle, but I feel as if I’m conquering that as life goes on.
Artistically, I am excited about moving forward with and developing my current body of work. Gathering source material is another component I enjoy and that incorporates not only models, but also trips to various beaches to find and photograph seaweed (not a bad way to spend the day). As I experiment more with materials, specifically works on paper as well as sculpture, I am developing ideas for an installation that would encompass a variety of media. I’d love to create a sort of kelp forest of the mind for people to experience, and continue exploring ways to connect with others through the work.
Find Anne Garvey on Instagram