NB... this conversation took place between July 2020 and August 2021.
Emma Coccioli is the author of ‘Animae’ Artist interviews, 2018, published by Vernon Press, USA.
A richly illustrated PDF of this article can be downloaded as a research paper here.
‘Untitled plate 1136’ from ‘Fusion’ dated 2020
EC — Your blooming spheres are literally wonderful…
AJH — These works all centre around the one theme, to reinforce a belief that society is in need of a spiritual re-awakening with nature upon which our future is co-dependent…
I am fascinated by the concept of the untold billions of specific events that led to us being here at all…
Here these floral forms are each so very different…
For me this is an important exploration — how to present a form so full of beauty and yet at a point of simultaneous tragedy…
I believe now is the time for the civil rights movement of our generation to begin…
‘Untitled plate 8080’ from ‘Fusion’ dated 2009
EC — After getting lost in the contemplation of the floral spheres…
AJH — The flowers are all studio grown from specific and ancient specimens of Allium…
I also introduce other forms of the sphere into the series… There is no post-production of any kind…
‘Untitled plate 01520’ from ‘Fusion’, dated 2020
The sparks of energy come from a mix of ground volatile metal filings…
EC — The original ideas and intentions you had when you conceived the project ‘Fusion’…
AJH — These themes have been a recurring subject in my work for over 30 years…
Much of my work is in direct contact with the environment…
In the series ‘Visions from the shoreline’ I documented the jewel-like islands in the Atolls of the Maldives…
PolaGram 5×4 inch No. 002-01, Baa Atoll, 2017
This particular project over the full 30-year period has gained full-circle status for me…
‘Drink Less’ made from recycled beach cleanup Coca-Cola aluminium cans
So to answer your question in full — I think no…
EC — Frailty and transience have often been represented in the history of art…
AJH — Caravaggio has been a remarkable inspiration for me…
‘Grace’, 2010. Chromogenic print. Artist Proof.
During my time in London, American artist Nancy Fouts also influenced me greatly…
My studio approach is moving with frailty and transience as works…
EC — These ephemeral flowery globes of yours are astonishingly beautiful…
AJH — Loss is a recurring theme in my work…
‘Witness’, Martyred Ophelia, 2012. Chromogenic print.
These same feelings are germinating all around me every single day in nature…
EC — The smoke emanating from flowers is another element that recurs…
AJH — Smoke for me is such an emblematic sign of energy transferring material…
‘Untitled Plate 8502’ from ‘Fusion’, dated 2009
I must confess to also being fascinated with, and constantly searching for the latest in science and nature-based research imagery…
I hope you found this journal entry informative — please let’s stay connected.
