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Anne Bean is a London-based artist who is an active and influential figure in UK live art and performance. Born in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) in 1950, she moved to England in 1969 after an initial art education at the University of Cape Town. She attended Reading University (graduated 1973), and her wide-ranging practice encompasses slide projections, drawing, photography, video and sound, with materials such as fire and pyrotechnics to weather balloons, wind and steam. Since 1970, she has presented solo and collaborative projects throughout Europe, USA, Africa, Mexico and Japan. In 2008, Bean was awarded the Legacy: Thinker in Residence award by Tate Research and the Live Art Development Agency. England & Co have exhibited her images relating to performance works from the 1970s at Photo London and Paris Photo. In June 2019, the gallery held a solo exhibition: Anne Bean: How Things Used to Be Now.

• Read the interview with Anne Bean in Fräulein magazine.

• Watch the Elles x Paris Photo interview with Anne Bean on YouTube.

Film & video   Photography   

Blue for You with Dov Eylath 1981

Stills from video which was originally edited in various ways to different lengths, the full version being 15'32". This version is 7'24".

Heat (Performed for camera 1977) 1974-1983
16 x 20 inches
Mixed media with glass and burnt vintage colour photographs
Anne Bean with photographer Chris Bishop

Tourist (The Camera makes Everyone a Tourist) c 1985
22.5 x 25 inches
Collage with vintage colour photographs
Words: Susan Sontag

Drowned 1977
Each 12.25 x 10 inches
Pair of colour bleached photographs

Elementals – Earth, Air, Fire, Water c 1978
18 x 23.25 inches
Left side of diptych.
Collage with black and white vintage photographs.

Elementals – Earth, Air, Fire, Water c 1978
18 x 23.25 inches
Right side of diptych.
Collage with colour vintage photographs.

Element (Fire) 1974
18 x 12 inches
Vintage black and white photograph
From the Elemental series

Anne Bean with photographer Chris Bishop

Elemental (Performance image) c 1974
28 x 19cm
A/P vintage silver bromide print

Anne Bean with photographer Chris Bishop

Elemental (Performance image) c 1974
21.5 x 16.5 cm
A/P vintage silver bromide print.

Anne Bean with photographer Chris Bishop

Private collection

Painting Myself Out c 1973
11.75 x 16.5 inches
Black and white vintage photograph with white paint

Divided Self 1974
25.75 x 36.25 inches
Collage with vintage black and white photographs
From a series of unique collages

Self-Portrait 1974
11 x 16.5 inches
Photographic collage using Polaroid prints
From a series of unique collages

Private collection, France