Contemporary Art in Context: Anne Eder

Anne Eder explores fairy tales, ecology, and fantasy through evocative photographs, sculptures, and interdisciplinary projects. She transforms nature into sculptural creatures that inhabit outdoor installations, then develops photographs of the sculptures or other natural objects through alternative processes that hum with the energy of a fairy tale.

Hidden Stories
Eder meticulously arranges elements from nature—roots and branches are arranged like tentacles, or a line of rocks mimics the human spine. Her images suggest hidden narratives and explore nature’s role in traditional mythologies, folk tales, monster movies, and religion. She also expresses great concern for the environment and hopes her work can inspire positive change.

Her Tales from the Fells is an ongoing allegorial series that includes digital and photographic images, small sculptures she calls “artifacts,” interactive installations, and written stories. It begins with the physical construction of a mythical realm populated by life-sized monstrous creatures made mostly from plant and organic materials. These sculptures become part of the installations and the subject of the photos. Through works such as this, Eder enlists traditional fairy-tale tropes to show aspects of both good and evil. These conflicts end with positive resolutions that relate to the dualities of human nature and the possibilities of overcoming problems (for example, environmental issues). The artist leaves her natural sculptures on-site to decompose and rejoin the natural world.

Art History: Nature-Based Narratives
Eder uses historic photographic printing processes such as platinum, palladium, or bichromate printing. The resulting images can be compared to the work of 19th-century photographers like Julia Margaret Cameron (1815–1879). The use of plants and other natural elements for narrative purposes became common in the 1970s by artists like Agnes Denes (b. 1931) who created massive plantings of rice or wheat as commentary on the world’s priorities in a deteriorating biosphere.

About the Artist
Born in Philadelphia, Eder was given her first camera at age eight. She received a BA (2012) in historic and alternative processes in photography and photographic ethics at Goddard College, Philadelphia, and an MA (2015) in photography and integrated media from Lesley University College of Art and Design in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She won the Julia Margaret Cameron Award for Women Photographers three times and currently teaches at Harvard University and Penumbra Foundation in New York. She currently lives and works in the Boston area.

ARTIST Q&A
What are some of the biggest influences on your work, including other artists, events, or things outside of the arts?
AE: My work takes place in the intersection where the natural world meets the narrative impulse. I’m interested in the role of nature in shaping our core mythologies, folklore, and religions, and in how discrete geographies produce specific narratives. Major influences: being raised immersed in Catholic mysticism, spending tons of time outdoors in the mountains of West Virginia, comic books, family photos, the organic sciences, reading, and being a young single mother. I adore old children’s book illustrations and am steeped in folklore studies of all stripes. My own lack of access and exposure to the arts has made it a cause, and the production of public art is a dedicated part of my practice.

Do you have specific strategies, rituals, or routines that help you work and/or generate ideas?
AE: Going to church, and by that, I mean walking in the woods. It’s where I can quiet my mind and draw inspiration. In that setting, things make sense, and I can see the patterns that exist both inside and all around us. The whole cycle of life and death feels acceptable. Another ritual I have is learning a new word every day—I am hugely inspired by words and the rabbit holes of research that they send me down. Also, I get very excited by tools and find a trip to the hardware store always gives me ideas.

Tell us about one of the biggest moments in your career.
AE: This is a tough one, because I have been at this a long time, and every opportunity to bring my work to an audience in person or in print is a privilege. In the creative workplace, I guess a highlight was designing for MTV. At one point, I dressed all of Bryant Park in fantasy topiary. My work being recognized as part of a creative force in the scene just in and outside Philadelphia in a special exhibition at the Delaware Art Museum felt very validating, and running an artist cooperative gallery in Philadelphia was personally meaningful because our focus was access and affordability. Artists were encouraged to offer both a collector version of work and something that everyday people could afford. Many events were free. Still, most of the time the thing that gives me real joy is some small detail in a piece that I feel pleased with and may never even show, and sharing my knowledge as an educator and seeing my students take off with it.

What advice do you have for students pursuing a career in photography?
AE: I always remind students that there are many paths open to them. Not everyone ends up in a gallery. The creative workplace is expansive and can yield a satisfying life making use of their talent and imagination. Also, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, even HUGE mistakes! You will learn the most from these. Last note: Create an ethics of practice for yourself. The time is past when photographers could simply take. Give some serious thought to what your own ethical boundaries are and write it up. Let it guide you.

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself as an emerging artist?
AE: I think I would say, don’t undervalue yourself. I was often held back by my own lack of confidence.

Are there any literary inspirations in your fantastic biomorphic forms?
AE: Oh, probably too many to mention! I am certain that Swamp Thing influenced the aesthetics. Amos Tutuola’s My Life in the Bush of Ghosts became part of my hard wiring early on. My head is too chock-full of fairy tales to pick any one in particular, though my take is often a twist on the traditional stories and precepts. The study of monsters—teratology, cryptozoology, and such, examines the cultural implications of monsters, something that I consider when building.

What element of your childhood do you instill in your art?
AE: The part of me that lacked teeth and claws and fell in love with the forests, making me a nemophilist. The girl who left the bookmobile with stacks of books offering escape.

DISCUSSION
Start by introducing students to Tales from the Fells. Ask them to describe what they see. Ask, “What materials do you think the artist used?” “How large do you think the creatures are?” “Where might you find a scene like this?” “What story is being told?” Then describe Eder’s fascination with nature, folklore, and stories. Ask, “What stories might you tell through your artwork?”

STUDIO EXPERIENCES

In a small group, create a large sculpture of an animal or unusual creature using natural and recycled materials.
Use alternative process to create a series of unique photographs on the topic of your choice.
Working together, create a large installation that uses a variety of media and artistic processes to tell a story.
Create a series of artworks that explore an issue or topic that is important to you. Explore different media and approaches until you find one (or more) that you feel works best with your content or message.

Steeped in Folklore