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Cornelia Parker RA at work in London's East End
Cornelia Parker RA prepares work for her 2013 exhibition at Frith Street Gallery.
Cornelia Parker RA (b. 1956)
Cornelia Parker studied at Gloucester College of Art (1974 – 1975), Wolverhampton Polytechnic, BA Hons (1975 – 1978) and Reading University, MFA (1980 – 1982).
She is well known for her large scale, often site specific, installations. Her engagement with the fragility of existence and the transformation of matter is exemplified in two key works: Dark Matter, a cartoon-like reconstruction of an exploded army shed, and Heart of Darkness, the formal arrangement of charred remains from a forest fire. There is an apocalyptic tone to much of her work but she also demonstrates a concern with the more insidious effects of global warming and consumerism.
Parker works in a variety of mediums and has collaborated with institutions such as HM Customs & Excise, Royal Armouries, Madame Tussauds and Victoria & Albert Museum, London. She was nominated for the Turner Prize in 1997. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2010 and a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to the Arts in the Queen’s Jubilee Birthday Honours List 2022.
Profile
Born: 1956 in Cheshire, England, United Kingdom
Nationality: British
Elected RA: 8 December 2009
Gender: Female
Preferred media: Sculpture
Works by Cornelia Parker in the RA Collection
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