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Anna Best

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Anna Best (b.London 1965) is a British artist known for a large and varied body of work dating from the late 1980s to the present day. After completing a BA Hons in Fine Art (1st class) in Coventry,[1] Best set up a co-operative artists studio in London, and undertook a number of artists residencies, notably Sculpture Space, New York. In the mid 90's she attended the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam,[2] where her tutors included Joan Jonas, Thom Puckey and Judith Goddard. From here Best had a solo show Texaco Love at Casco Projects in Utrecht.[3] She was responsible for co-founding Shave International Artist's Workshop in Somerset, UK, 1991-1997, with Triangle Arts.[4]

On her return to London, Best exhibited in Summer Collection at the South London Gallery with A Real Pony Race for a Bridle (Burgess Park)[5] reviewed by Anna Harding,[6] and in Glean, curated by Naomi Siderfin at Beaconsfield with Visionhire (Lambeth Walk).[7][8] Best was commissioned by Iwona Blaswick at Tate Modern (The Wedding Project, Borough Market),[9][10] by The Photographer's Gallery (Occasional Sights),[11][12] Camden Arts Centre (Mecca),[13][14] and Grizedale Arts.[15]

This work and other pieces consisted of large scale collaborative events: Best has said she was interested in the complexity and provisional nature of these processes. Her work was created in public space, offsite and highly specific to time, place, and audience. Julieta Gonzalez appraises some of this work in Visible - where art leaves its own field and becomes visible as part of something else, Sternberg Press 2010.[16] Alongside residencies, workshops, teaching and projects abroad - Portugal, Croatia, Belgium, Poland, Venezuela and Senegal - Best’s practice at this time was primarily concerned with the Local: she worked with Danielle Arnaud, notably PHIL with the London Philharmonic orchestra,[17] reviewed in Mute.[18] She collaborated with composer Paul Whitty on Vauxhall Pleasure, including performances at Tate Britain and an exhibition at The Museum of Garden History.[19][20]

Best's film and video work includes: Buddleia commissioned by Plymouth Arts Centre, Devon, 2007, with an essay by Lucy Reynolds[21] and Plastic Water Stone, performance-screening at Almissa Festival, Croatia, 2019.[22]

More recently, and part-time in Dorset, Best has hosted artists at The Mothership[23] and developed her studio practice of drawing, sculpture and writing, recently publishing Limestone Interruptions.[24] She is currently working with partner Nick Berkeley on a collaborative project 56:65. Best’s work is held in archives at Tate Modern, The Photographers Gallery, the Live Art Development Agency and The South London Gallery Collection, in London.

References

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  1. ^ "Panel Discussion: Lanchester Polytechnic Faculty of Art & Design 1980-1983". Facture. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  2. ^ "Anna Best, 1994". Rijksakademie. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  3. ^ "Texaco Love - Casco Art Institute". casco.art. 2022-04-14. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  4. ^ Triangle - Variety of experience around artists workshops and residencies. Published by Triangle Arts Trust, UK 2007, ISBN: 0954578783
  5. ^ "A Real Pony Race For A Bridle – Anna Best Archive". Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  6. ^ Harding, Anna. "Participatory art and the gailery" (PDF). archive.annabest.info.
  7. ^ Occupational Hazard: Critical Writing on Recent British Art, by Julian Stallabrass etc. Black Dog Publishing, 1998
  8. ^ Chronic Epoch: 1995-2005, Beaconsfield Gallery by Margaret Garlake, Black Dog Publishing, 2015
  9. ^ "Tate Gallery: With Bow Bells, Cockney costermongers and artists". www.theartnewspaper.com. 1998-09-30. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  10. ^ For Whom the Bell Tolls, by Emma Smith, Make - the magazine of womens art, No. 83
  11. ^ a London guide book of missed opportunities and things that aren’t always there. ISBN: 0907879667
  12. ^ Art Monthly 2004, Issue 275, Stephen Bury, Occasional Sights could be seen to mimic physically an A_Z…
  13. ^ "eyes-down". eyesdown.annabest.info. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  14. ^ "A Conversation with Anna Best". www.safebet.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2009-01-07. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  15. ^ "Festival of Lying - Art and Lying". www.grizedale.org. Archived from the original on 2012-03-10. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  16. ^ Visible, Cittadellarte-Fondazione Pistoletto & Fondazione Zegna, Sternberg Press, USA, Germany 2010, ISBN: 97819341050902
  17. ^ "PHIL by Anna Best". phil.annabest.info. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  18. ^ Szczelkun, Stefan (2002-11-28). "Phil". Mute. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  19. ^ "Parabola Trust". www.parabolatrust.org. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  20. ^ Open Space - Art in the Public Realm in London 1995-2005. Edited by Jemima Montagu, Arts Council England and Central London Partnership 2007, ISBN: 9780728713246.
  21. ^ Reynolds, Lucy. "Anna Best - Buddleia: Cinematic Disruptions of a City" (PDF). archive.annabest.info.
  22. ^ Split, HULU; Šuran, Oleg (2019-07-23). "Programme 2019". Almissa. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  23. ^ "@mothershipresidencies · The Mothership Artist Residencies". Tumblr. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  24. ^ "Limestone Interruptions – Anna Best Archive". Retrieved 2025-06-21.
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