Raw, intimate, sincere and full of life, Amy's characters always look like they're caught in mid sentence or about to blink/sneeze. She captures people in their natural state and never fails to tell a story. We catchup up with her for a little chat and checked in to see how her works were coming along for AFYM (it's looking awesome)!
1. Tell us a bit about what you do?
When I'm not making coffee or scoffing pastries I like to draw, paint and take photos. Sometimes I get the chance to build things but it's the drawing I love doing the most.
2. How would you describe your work?
I love to work with the figure and the human body; sometimes on it's own and sometimes in relation to a space, but always with a story behind it. Narrative is really important to me; I like building characters and giving them a motive and seeing how they react to an audience. What I try to create is a conversation between my images and the viewer. Somewhere in that conversation I hope for a common ground and understanding to be met. I create work about existing and I like to question human theories through the use of the figure.
3. How did you get started?
My mum (how apt) had brought me up with three other siblings in a very creative and nurturing environment, so I had started developing some kind of interest in drawing when I was very young. Since then I've been predominantly self taught; it was such a strong passion that I completely immersed myself in it. I started out doing manga and anime comics to understand anatomy, which gave me a great foundation of both movement and characterisation. Not to mention I watched a buttload of Disney and other cartoons growing up; I loved how the characters could be so real you almost forgot they were all drawings.
4. What motivates you to create?
I'm motivated by the need to understand people; why we do what we do and why we continue to do it. Anthropology and ontology have recently become a small passion of mine and I'm trying to research the theoretic in order to inform my practice more strongly. It's this and existence - our need to be heard and validated; I'm driven to express all of my thoughts to connect with these needs.
5. Who inspires you at the moment?
At the moment I'm finding inspiration in a number of artists who have a strong running narrative across their works that tell stories about a myriad of different human experiences. Edward Hopper, Andrew Wyeth, Marlene Dumas, Richard Diebenkorn, Nimit Malavia, Bill Platz; all inspirational in both content and medium.
6. What do you find is the most exciting and rewarding aspect in your working process?
Exciting is when an idea finally clicks. Sometimes it's a struggle; I'm often fighting my work and we tend to argue quite a bit. The moment it falls into place in my mind - and it can happen at any moment - it's like an explosion and I've got to start making it straight away before the thought subsides. Rewarding is after that explosion once it's on paper and all of a sudden I've been working for four hours straight but I never thought to check the time. That's when I know I'm onto something; when I'm utterly absorbed by it.
7. What’s next in terms of using different media/challenging yourself?
Challenging myself right now would mean scale and more work, something I've been holding back from doing because I know once the ball is rolling there's no chance I'll back down. Uni can be a bit stifling in that sense, temporarily stealing my focus away from those big ideas; but it also gets me anticipating the moment I'm finished and ready to start the next project. Definitely looking at working with more charcoal, inks, and printmedia, but I'll always love graphite, biro, highlighters and watercolour.
8. Who would you most like to collaborate with (living or dead) and why?
Ok that's tough because there are two artists I would kill to collaborate with. I'm going to be selfish and tell you both anyway: either Alighiero Boetti or William Kentridge, because both of them have such strength in their practices; both know exactly what they're working towards and their bodies of work are massive. I could only imagine the wealth of knowledge and philosophy these artists could instil me with and the inspiration gained would be invaluable.
9. What do you see yourself doing in 5 years?
There's a few things on the cards that might determine the next five years right now, but hopefully I'll be back in Australia and setting up a house/studio somewhere ripe for thinking and drawing. I don't have a desperation to move anywhere too soon; if my practice takes off in thirty years I'd be as happy if it took off tomorrow.
10. Favourite place/thing to do in Brisbane on a day off…
I can be a bit of a homebody on days off, so won't always be going anywhere. If anything I visit work for a coffee and a chat, maybe do some baking, sometimes head into Southbank and catch up with friends. I like anything that doesn't have to be planned. Brisbane can be good like that; catering to sleepy days.
11. What was the most useful or weirdest advice your mother gave you?
My mum is always full of advice and pieces of information, always willing to dish it out (sometimes when I least expect it); I think the most useful advice she's ever offered me was essentially to never listen to anyone else, give myself the chance to think for myself, and be the alternative; 'You're a clever cookie, you can do whatever you like', she'll always say.
12. Do you have a website?
I have a website (www.aimless-wandering.com) and a current blog (fringewithbenefits.tumblr.com) and I am always instagramming my drawings when they happen (belvapark).
