Artist Statement
I imagine potential explanations for the phenomena and mysteries of the world around me. How would I explain the formation of life if I didn’t know about sexual reproduction? How would I understand storms if I knew nothing about meteorology? If I could create a mythology to explain the seemingly unexplainable, what would that be? Myths are operatic in scope, but also extremely intimate in the personal ways we understand them and apply their meanings to our lives, in addition to which, they are boiling over with imagery. Drawing inspiration from different world mythologies combined with a lifelong love of history, medieval art, and theater, I use painting and collage to explore my homemade myths.
Over the last year, I have moved from drawing and textiles to painting on unprimed canvas, I layer acrylic paint with collaged painted muslin. The raw canvas allows the colors to bleed into one another, not unlike watercolor, and the collage of painted muslin provides both depth and a hard edge. The combination allows me to tell a story that is both unclear and in focus.
About
Amanda was born in beautiful San Antonio, TX in 1975, and grew up in the suburbs of Dallas, TX. She started out wanting to be a studio artist, but decided in 1996 to focus on designing costumes for theater. So while at the University of TX at Austin she changed from a BFA in studio art to a BA in Theater and Dance. In 2000, Amanda moved to NYC to design costumes professionally, and in 2001 began the MFA stage design program at the Yale School of Drama with a concentration in costume design, graduating in 2004. Now she does both studio art and costume design. She is a member of CAMP Gallery. Currently, Amanda lives in New Haven, CT with her husband.
To Contact Amanda, please write to amandakatewalker75@gmail.com