Studio Visit

In The Studio With Anna Varendorff

For anyone who is remotely familiar with the Melbourne art/design/jewellery scene, Anna Varendorff’s work will be instantly recognisable.

After eleven years creating sculptural artwork, jewellery and her popular range of tubular brass vases in various spaces within Melbourne’s iconic Nicholas building, today Anna shares her current studio space with us. We’re lucky enough to have a very special piece by Anna on show in our Art&Artefact exhibition, opening this Saturday!

Written
by
Miriam McGarry

Vase by Anna Varendorff. Photo – courtesy Anna Varendorff.

Anna in the studio. Photo – Amelia Stanwix.

Works in progress! Photo – Amelia Stanwix.

Tools at the ready. Photo – Amelia Stanwix.

The beauty and the mess! Photo – Amelia Stanwix.

A line up of vases – the middle one is available to purchase from our end of year exhibition! Photo – courtesy Anna Varendorff.

Details of the making process. Photo – Amelia Stanwix.

Hands on! Photo – Amelia Stanwix.

Anna’s stunning jewellery. Photo – Amelia Stanwix.

A polish before they are out the door. Photo – Amelia Stanwix.

A double vase catching the light. Photo – Amelia Stanwix.

Native florals elegantly poised. Photo – courtesy Anna Varendorff.

Time to wrap and roll out the door. Photo – Amelia Stanwix.

Writer
Miriam McGarry
12th of December 2019

Working across sculpture and jewellery, fine-art and functional objects, Melbourne based maker Anna Varendorff has amassed an almost cult following in Melbourne, in particular for her distinctive curved brass sculptures, created under the name ACV studio.

Since we last featured Anna in 2014 (!), when she was just beginning to create her elegant single-stem brass vases, these pieces have become a huge part of Anna’s practice. ‘They are something I make constantly’ she explains. The production of these popular vases supports other, less commercial projects that Anna undertakes, including exhibiting at not-for-profit spaces in Melbourne, such as Caves Gallery, where Anna has a show opening in January 2020.

Anna describes the varied nature of her practice as ‘exhausting but addictive.’ Working across multiple projects allows her to jump in-and-out of different roles, collaborate with the ‘best people’, while still allowing the prolific creative to work for herself.

Anna’s practice is inspired by many other artists and creatives, particularly those whose work encourages a direct relationship between the object and the audience. She highlights Lygia Clark, Franz West and Donald Judd as artists with ‘wildly different’ arts practices, but who combine an interactive or functional element, with their ability to speak to politics.

If you would like to create a direct relationship between object and audience (aka get your own hands on one of Anna’s vases!), join us at the Art&Artefact opening this Saturday December 14th! (See Anna’s piece for Art&Artefact here.)

Art&Artefact
at TDF Collect
14 Little Oxford st
Collingwood
Victoria

Exhibition opening this Saturday,December 14th
Drinks and snacks from 2pm – 5pm

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