Anna Schachinger

Anna Schachinger’s sensuous paintings move fluidly between figuration and abstraction. Working principally with canvas and linen, Schachinger has also experimented with painting on more textural and sculptural surfaces such as ceramics and towelling. In Schachinger’s work, fragments of recognisable body parts and domestic motifs collide with gestural, emotive linework, creating non-linear narratives for viewers to untangle. In organic, natural hues, loose figures are brought to life, their languid bodies undulating across the canvas. Some works are easier to read, whilst others lean more heavily into an abstract arena, with the separation between objects, bodies and background becoming paper thin. Building on the aesthetic and critical legacy of artists such as Francis Bacon and Amy Sillman, Schachinger uses painting as a medium to explore the parameters of queer-feminist discourse. In the artist’s own words, “I’m aiming to capture a sense for the body that extends further in and out than its own skin. I’m interested in the question of how bodies influence each other”. The resultant works are sumptuous and sensitive, tracking Schachinger’s personal bodily experiences whilst carving space for wider contemporary representations of queer embodiment today. ...