Artist profile

Cornelia Parker RA studied at Gloucester College of Art 1974 - 1975, Wolverhampton Polytechnic, BA Hons 1975 - 1978 and Reading University, MFA 1980 -1982.

Parker 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.

She 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 and was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2010.

Photo © Benedict Johnson