Since being pregnant I have experienced the growing bump as a giant egg, waited and watched over by a protective bird. Entangled plants and corals germinate and perish around us as the slow process of growth occurs.
The Egg features within a Amie Kirby's review of Thinking is Making at Cross Lane Projects, published by Corridor 8.
'Exploring further, I am struck by references to science fiction, the fantastical and surreal – the not here and not now. One of the most palpable examples of this is Anna Reading’s ‘The Egg’ (2024), depicting an ambiguous more-than-human being, made from an impressive collection of wood, stainless steel, aluminium, Jesmonite, sand, pigment, tile adhesive, oyster shell, volcanic sand, nassa shell, and ‘studio debris’. It stands in the centre of the room, 224 centimetres high, with two long, vertical planks forming the spine of the creature, connected to two horizontal planks resting on the floor. From this base comes a layer of colourful shards enmeshed in a white structure binding everything together, appearing like a residue building up on the creature slowly over time. Metal wires cascade from the base, too, with flower-like antennae reaching into negative space, claiming what they can. On one of the vertical planks, an egg-like structure extends outwards, bulbous and protruding. Metal sheets cut into coral-like shapes wrap around the spinal planks, extending outwards. While I take in layer after layer, I feel delightfully puzzled. In attempting to determine how and why Reading used these materials, the viewer is exposed to the versatility of the materials. The question is not just about how the artist has used them, but how should we? In constructing this creature with layers of protective armour, made from found objects and debris, Reading makes a statement about evolutionary resilience, survival and, saliently, waste. I can almost picture the formation of this hapless creature, building an outer layer of residue as it traverses a desolate landscape. Reading has managed to create an actual embodiment or characterisation of the possibilities of our built environment and our very real climate anxieties.'