Amy Sinclair
STATEMENT
Must we never forget that inspiration comes from places that often repel us initially; stepping outside of what is comfortable often proves to be worthwhile. Through my creative process I seek order and achieve stability through representation. I ask myself, what are the advantages and disadvantages of imposing order in a universe that is neither chaotic nor rational? Through representation I seek to achieve a sense of understanding. It is often that I feel unstable because the risk in seeking out opposition to my convictions is difficult, but ultimately highly rewarding.
The method to which I approach the intaglio technique of printmaking allows for self-reflective work. Through thoughtful intuition, deliberation, and persistence, I build up simple, monotonous forms to achieve a quality that addresses both aesthetics of craft and abstraction. It is important to the conception that my work weaves aesthetics of culturally determined high and low art because of the desire to dismantle the myth of "artist as creative genius". Creativity is not a spell that is cast uniquely and exclusively on a select few, it is a learned skill, harbored by individuals and collectives to achieve desired goals. A finished print may appear to be complex and disorderly, but the process I take is often simple and repetitive.
Currently imagery in my work is limited, restricted to matter of organic beings e.g. human & animal skins and fleshes in various states. I may draw the same shape thousands of times, and I may never reach a quality of industrial perfection that is expected because of the dependency on mass produced goods. But, this should be embraced as a humanistic quality instead of an imperfection or inadequacy. While I believe pragmatism lends its' hand to creativity; the practicality of a superficial utilitarianism may leave us unfulfilled.
Through creating my work, I seek to address issues of social justice. I believe that when one fails to recognize the suffering that one causes due to the objectification of the "other"... Choosing to interact with beings in regard to how they benefit us, has negative implications. I often create images in opposition to my own beliefs to represent absurdity. applying utility to the natural world without careful consideration. In doing so, I wish to promote consciousness of social inequality and pursue social justice with the conviction that all oppression is related. My goals for my work are to take a literal approach to art as craft and further the connections between the two. I am currently working to incorporate my knowledge of craft, e.g. sewing and book binding, with my interest in art to create a more comprehensive body of work.
Last Updated: February 11th, 2012
