(All images by Anna King, reproduced with permission)
When people think of art that depicts urban exploration, they usually imagine secret and atmospheric photography, taken beyond the “No Entry” signs. Anna King’s paintings (made with a combination of oil and pencil) give a unique and poised look to abandoned buildings from the outside, drawing attention to scenes which are, while visible, rarely noted by anyone outside of explorers.
By using an artistic medium not usually associated with urban exploration, King has explored a new territory herself. The sparse, simple scenes are clever in their depiction of the land: some appearing as traditional landscapes at first, until the viewer looks closer and sees the tell-tale signs of abandonment: windows without glass, rusted metal, creeping plants.
In this sense, the pictures work on a number of different levels: as beautiful portraits of urban decay, but also as unusual glances of familiar areas, designed to give people a different take on the landscape.
“I love to explore empty, feral places,” says King, on her website. “I find myself in a no-mans land. Unclaimed territory, that, for a while anyway, I can have as my own.” With a nomination for the London Art Award 2012, and shows all over the country, King has certainly made her mark. Visit www.anna-king.com for more information.
