Anna Saunt - Artist

To me, art is about poetry. It is about the conversation, the poetry of relationship. Art is poetry in connections both conceptually and physically. It’s about musicality, the confrontation of ideas or simply a lullaby. It’s about the breadth of materials coming together and the moment of their connection, or collision in some ways. Art is your first love, the angry retort on the street, art is about peeling paint and that smashed vase. Art is an earthquake whispered, art is about the silence in the uproar. Art is about the relationship between elements and ideas, it’s about possibilities, the happening between you the viewer and the work. Maybe art is the moment of your realisation of your interaction with the piece, your love of a line, you’re turning away from an affront, your satisfaction with pigments coming together? All in all art is about relationship between you, me, and the work. Poetry. Every which way. All of this, to me, is what makes art. .

~ Anna Saunt 2022

Instinct by Anna Saunt

When you see me, ugly and vulnerable, do you turn away in disgust or do you feel to protect and nurture me? Many things in life are ugly, distasteful, vulnerable and repulsive. I am. I am everything that is. I am utterly vulnerable to other people’s care, time and generosity. What do you do when you see me, vulnerable and challenging, maybe in door ways, on the street struggling or looking strangely out of place? Do you go to turn away or do you look to me?

My name is instinct. What is yours?

The conversion of St Paul by Anna Saunt

I loved how the depiction of this footballer’s victory slide slots easily into the moment St Paul is blinded by the truth of God on the road to Damascus. I like the symbiotic relationship of the life changing posture overlaying this game changing slide. One is for the glory of God and the other is for a goal.

Christ walking on The Sea of Galilee. by Anna Saunt

This magnificent and striking pose is of a footballer who has just defied his manager. It also reminds me of the parable of Jesus walking on the Sea of Galilee and calming the storm. I love the simple pose, arms outstretched in powerful defiance either toward the footballer’s manager or the storm’s rage. This dynamic action is subtle though; it is in the slight turn of the shoulders, the movement of the hips and the inscrutable play on the face muscles.

Christ driving the money changers out of the temple. by Anna Saunt

For me the fervent use of this fist action has so many references. It is a common gesture and seen here, along with the defiant facial expressions of the footballer and you could easily see Christ gesturing to the money changers. One gesture is for the radical over throwing of a secular money changing racquet in a holy temple, the other is a scored goal.