Fiona Banner

Fiona Banner

Fiona Banner is a British artist who has gained international recognition for her multidisciplinary approach to art-making. Born in Merseyside in 1966, Banner studied at Chelsea College of Art and the Royal College of Art in London. Her work spans a range of media, including sculpture, installation, drawing, and film, but she is perhaps best known for her written artworks. Banner's practice is characterized by a fascination with language and its relationship to visual art. She often combines text with images, creating works that challenge the viewer's perceptions and invite them to engage with the work in a deeper way. One of Banner's most famous works is Harrier and Jaguar (1996-97), a large-scale sculpture that explores the culture of war and the language of military hardware. The piece consists of two full-scale models of fighter jets, one hanging from the ceiling and the other resting on the floor. The planes are made from aluminum and painted black, with every detail meticulously recreated. The work invites the viewer to consider the beauty and power of these machines, while also questioning the violence and destruction they represent. Another key aspect of Banner's practice is her interest in the female body and its representation in art and popular culture. In works like Nude (2008), she uses text to describe the female form in explicit detail, challenging traditional notions of beauty and objectification. Banner's work is often provocative and confrontational, but it is also deeply thoughtful and nuanced. Overall, Fiona Banner is an artist whose work defies easy categorization. She is a master of multiple media, and her work is characterized by a deep engagement with language and its relationship to visual art. Whether exploring the culture of war or the representation of the female body, Banner's work is always thought-provoking and challenging.

Fiona Banner, British artist, multidisciplinary, language, sculpture, installation, drawing, film, Harrier and Jaguar, military hardware, female body, representation, provocative, confrontational, nuanced

— Andrew Moore