Anna Drake, First Place Winner for Endangered

“No Brain” by Anna Drake

When did you realize you wanted to be artist?

Art has always had a place in my life. I've always been an artist

Who are some artistic influences and how do they influence you?

My work is influenced by the feminine handiwork of my grandmothers and great-grandmothers, as well as my own need for expression.

What inspired you to make art and what does it mean to you?

This series is inspired by the medium. Once I started experimenting with plastic bags and hyperbolic shapes, what needed expressing became obvious. The first piece is a sculpture, evoking both a human brain and brain coral. From there the concept evolved to "Brain in Repose," "No Brain" and "Not Present."

With your piece titled, "No Brain," made from plastic bags, how long does it typically take to create a piece like this and how many bags did you use?

It typically takes around year to create a piece like this. I'm a busy working mom, creating art as time is available.

It took more than a thousand plastic bags to create "No Brain." Used plastic shopping bags are washed, dried and cut into strips. The strips are then strung together and either crocheted, knitted or woven into the hyperbolic shapes used to create the piece.

In the exhibition, "Endangered," with a theme focusing on current global and political issues, what do you hope people take away from your work?

I hope viewers realize that trash and people can be transformed. Plastic bags are clogging our oceans and threatening life. In "No Brain" the bags draw attention to both issues and demonstrate that, thought about differently, ubiquitous trash can be transformed into fine art. The shapes in "No Brain" are meant to evoke sea life, and human life. Too often certain types of people are thought of or treated as trash. I hope "No Brain" inspires the viewer to consider their own perspective on how they might treat trash or other people.