Education
University of Missouri-Columbia 1987 Art History & Archaeology
Campbell Center for Historic Preservation; Various courses in conservation and gilding over the decades 1980's-2010
Highland Community College 2012-2015 Science
Work History
Kennedy Furniture and Decorative Arts Conservation 1985-2003
Kennedy-Haag Conservation Studio 2003-2006
The Chicago Conservation Center 2006-2011
Artist 1969- Present, dispalyed in various galleries, museums, ad cafe's
Statement
Ann Haag
Gilding Artist
Inspired by gold and its many and varied applications across cultures and time, I enjoy exploring and pushing the ideological and physiological boundaries of its practical use. I have practiced Gilding and Gilding Conservation since 1985, serving mid-west American museums and cultural heritage sites for over 25 years. I have since retired from conservation and have turned my attention to creating works of art utilizing my knowledge of gilding, traditional art materials, and conservation.
My Art reflects various applications and uses for gold, driven by cultural ideologies, such as those of Ancient American cultures who considered it ‘pretty’ but somewhat useless. On the other hand, Europeans, who had an insatiable appetite for gold, covered every conceivable surface with its brilliance and valued it highly as a source of status and power. Other cultures ascribe gold with spiritual meaning, such as medieval Christian Iconographers. By incorporating gold in to their Icons, it is considered to represent the presence of the Divine. Tibetan worshipers offer gold to idols as an act of devotion, and India’s natives consider it a ‘must-have’ as good luck and blessings to a newly married couple. Not to be outdone, ancient Egyptians desired to make a grand entry into the after-life by wrapping their royal dead in opulently gilt and ornamented caskets and jewels. Another practice of particular inspiration to me, is the Japanese practice of repairing ceramics with gold. A broken ceramic vessel, repaired with gold, is esteemed as more beautiful and valuable than an unbroken vessel. All of these practices and ideas, which inter-weave with ideas about life, love, power & death, influence the work I create.
I enjoy juxtaposing gold against, and along-side, other highly symbolically charged and beautiful materials. In my current work, I explores fire, gold, and raw minerals. Fire, which is feared and revered, plays a pivotal role in my current body of work. The tension between fire, wood, and gold is wrapped into visually beautiful and meaningful works of art.
Powered by Artwork Archive