Subtotal:
290,00 €
In the depths of the Earth with Annie Lunardi
Whether in the anatomical, figurative, geological or spatial sense, Annie Lunardi takes you on a journey to the heart of the bowels and deep gorges of the Earth and the land. She dives into the abyss in search of the roots she’s missed. And she finds them!
Artistes Actuels met her in her studio.
Creating roots to exist, weaving alliances and filiations to better connect with oneself
Originally from the Nevers region, Annie Lunardi arrived in Paris at the age of 20 to work as a medical secretary. She rushed off to the great museums, flagship centers of artistic culture. Her visits inspired her to start painting: she bought a canvas, five tubes of paint (3 primary colors, white and black) and brushes, and began copying Van Gogh’s Pont-levis. Once over the bridge, Annie embarked on a new path, that of creation.
She felt the need to acquire a technical background, and decided to take drawing lessons in Clichy, where she lives. At the Emile Grittel classes, run by artists, she made some wonderful encounters:
- The teacher who accompanied her helped her to understand why she liked drawing on old media.
- There, she discovered a book on Fred Deux [designer 1924-2015] that had an emotional resonance for her.
- With other students, she creates an artists’ collective, the Artifact association.
- In 2017, a social worker in charge of a patients’ association at the hospital where she works suggested that she exhibit for the patients. After several refusals, too intimidated to reveal herself, she took the plunge, discovering the richness and joy of sharing with an audience.
Once the brakes had been lifted, her curiosity led her to look for ways of showing her work. She applied to art fairs, and one thing led to another, and her work was selected. The wheels were in motion.
An overhead view to find the place to land
A self-taught artist from the heart of a rural land, Annie Lunardi draws without premonition or preparatory sketches. She draws the threads of the earth, the threads of an imprint on various supports such as old maps or rolls of paper that she leaves to macerate in her garden.
For the artist, these supports are a reassuring starting point. Maps are objects of dreams, memories and projects. She draws from their depths, revealing an imaginary subterranean life.
On weather-beaten paper with earth on it, she models cave walls and extracts memories of ancient divinities.
She always starts with an overview, looking down from her stepladder: she scans the horizon offered by her supports, whether maps or battered paper, to choose her destination, the territory to be opened up or revealed.
Within her artist collective Artifact, everyone supports and helps each other. The Collectif runs workshops for the town of Clichy. In 2021, it will move into council buildings. For Annie, it’s the perfect time to begin working in large formats.
The artistic awards she receives (Salon d’Étampes, Prix de la Ville de Clichy, Fondation Taylor Prix Jean-Vincent Darasse, Laureate of the Biennale de Conche-en-Ouche, Prix Passage à l’art at the Salon Figuration Critique) are recognition and encouragement to continue.
With patient determination, Annie Lunardi is tracing her rhizome-like path. She has now reached the point where the fairs call on her.
Artistes Actuels is delighted to welcome her to its online gallery.
The editorial team
The thrill of artistic discoveries
