1. Anthea Hamilton

2. Lived and Worked in London

3. Personal and Artistic Life
Born in 1978 London, Anthea Hamilton’s career has been primarily influenced by the 20th Century French writer and dramatist Antonin Artaud and his idea of images being a source for physical knowledge. Hamilton has also been recognised through reoccurring method of using unusual materials in her pieces that vary both in their scale and level of humour, which have been described as being a ‘lens through which to view the world’ (Tate). According to the artist, her intention for the audience is for the person to experience a bodily response to an image or an idea in order to stimulate thought and conversation about her piece and the imagery associated with it.

5. Education
1997: Hamilton attended the Wimbledon School of Art in London 2000: Attended Leeds Metropolitan University 2004: Study visit to Cité International des Arts Paris 2005: Royal Academy of Art Hamilton graduated from the Royal Academy and continued to work in London where she works with various materials and mediums ranging from sculpture, performance, moving-image and painting to both distort and manipulate the image of the popular culture in modern society.

6. 1990’s London

7. Context
‘The 1990s saw a new mood of optimism in London. The capital began to think of itself as truly global. It grew relaxed with its multicultural population and proud of its creative buzz. London in the 1990s became, statistically, different to the rest of the country. The capital had a younger population and a far more multicultural one. By the end of the century 29% of Londoners were from a minority ethnic group, as compared to 9% in Britain as a whole’ (20th Century London) Hamilton would have been raised through a 90’s London, which had a ‘younger population and a far more multicultural one’, which could have been the stimulus for Hamilton’s interest in the concept of image. This could also be how Hamilton has explored the idea of how an individuals preferences and interests can manipulate their appearance in a popular culture that revolves around imagery and development.

8. Galleries and Exhibitions

10. Gymnasium Exhibition
‘Gymnasium’ was Hamilton’s first solo project for a London Public Gallery, which was displayed in 2008 With this exhibition, Hamilton has focused on the history of the gymnasium and situated her work within its design due to her interest in ‘physical prowess, aesthetic appreciation of the body and intellectual pursuits, as well as from contemporary gym culture’ (Archive Chisenhale Gallery). The installation was composed of meshing two contrasting surfaces together being hard and soft in order to create a sense in the audience of surprise by creating the illusion that the installation is ever changing and nothing is fixed in one space.

11. TATE Anthea Hamilton: Turner Prize 2016

12. Turner Prize 2016 Nominee
Hamilton has been considered for the 2016 turner prize for her exhibition ‘Lichen! Libido! Chastity!’, which has been nominated for her ‘work focusing on fetishism including an enormous sculpture of a man's buttocks’ (BBC) and a ‘made-to-measure suit with a pattern of woven jacquard fabric bricks hangs in the space’ (The Guardian). This aspect of Hamilton of wanting ‘us to experience when we encounter her work and its use of unexpected materials, scale and humour’ (Tate) can also obviously be recognised in her Turner nominated exhibition as the artist is continuing to pursue her intention of creating a bodily response in the audience when viewing her work. Another interesting aspect about Hamilton's work is her influence in creating the work. The artist ‘talks about Italian film director and writer Pier Paolo Pasolini’s “untimely death” in 1975, and a number of letters he published in the months before he was brutally murdered’ (The Guardian). After reading this extract from the artists influence, the 18ft sculpture has apparently created associations of ‘threat and danger, and human vulnerability’ (The Guardian).