Anne Thrift was born in Atlanta and grew up in Marietta, Georgia. She’s lived in Florida for some time, moving here to Panama City in 2015. Before turning to art, Thrift pursued degrees in the health sciences field, earning a B.A. in Psychology from Rollins College and a M.S. in Health Education (Exercise Physiology concentration) from Florida State University. Her experience as a former collegiate swimmer, Anatomy & Physiology adjunct instructor, swim coach, academic advisor, and Physical Therapist Assistant helped pave the way for exploring the mind-body relationship from an artistic perspective. As an artist, Anne Thrift has continually felt that ever-present inclination towards creating artwork that merges her passions and welcomes personal connection to each piece.
“The human body, in my opinion, is the most masterful piece of art,” she explains. “ I see the body as a dynamic entity, existing not as one particular snapshot but rather an everchanging, vulnerable state of destruction and reconstruction. All too often we think of either science or art; however, I would like to welcome to the notion of science as art.”
ARTnatomy 4.0: Joint Spaces, her current show, was created to highlight joints of the human body in a way that offers a mixture of elements, for the overall vision does not quite fit one particular style. Aiming to capture the classic black and white vibe but with a more contemporary, abstract flair, her intent is to offer a biomedical and educational yet playful experience for the viewer. The bright fluorescent colors were included as a nod to highlighting textbooks during all those scholastic years she spent as a student and teacher. The neon areas also strive to embrace the negative space between all the convex and concave contours of the human frame. “I intentionally made brush strokes, textured areas, and lines that are not perfectly straight, as to mirror the organic aspect of the human form and reinforce the hand-crafted quality of an original acrylic painting (rather than a print or digital image),” says Thrift.
ARTnatomy 4.0, runs from Oct. 8 through Oct. 31 in the private event room of Taproom in Historic St. Andrews located at 1010 Beck Ave, Panama City, FL 32401. There will be an opening reception on Saturday, Oct. 8 from 5-9 p.m., and Taproom will also be offering a food truck and live music that evening. All artwork will be on display and for sale during normal business hours.
