Thursday, June 21, 2012
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Artist Statement
Lush trees, wrenched from red clay, transform as a gift and sacrifice, into a different creative capacity.
My father’s ancestral land, the bones of an old growth forest, were farmed - cleared and sold - to pay for my arts education. The body of work seen in my most recent installation is, therefore, a reverence for what I have, and will, become, from the gifts of Nature. It nods to the debt we all owe bounty of the Earth, for our actual, factual existence. These images thank my folks, and the regenerating forest I loved so much as a child, for helping me to become whatever it is that I am, now.
In terms of process, construction of a painting, with emphasis on the individual, singular brush stroke, can be arduous. But removal of paint, in creation of subtle textures, is much faster. So it has always been: creation is hard; destruction - more simple. But both addition and degradation of surface paints, as indicative of loss and regrowth within the natural world, constitute an organic, and consistent, whole. So: procedures in paint application, and removal, source the physical acts of disruption in nature, by, or beyond, direct cause, of man.
Color, texture, and the placement of hues, in range of saturation, replicate my observations of nature’s cycles, from old to new; abrupt or gradual. Soil, sand, ash, wax and other organic resources are of use to mix into the paint, so the resulting piece might hew or integrate, as much as possible, the painting’s inspiration.
It’s as if we’re all layers of brush strokes, veils, on the face of the Earth. Somehow, we integrate that which has been lost, into our physical and emotional existence, through time. For me, I feel it in daily resistance, to natural change. But, as the Appalachians testify, not even stone is static.
This painting series, by craft, intent, or physical substance, hint at that daily disruption of life, and our losing efforts to piece back together, time-and-again, our own small space, in the world. This installation nods to my family. To our land. To the myriad cycles of Nature, that rattle delicate human sensibility. Am I alive, in the same way, since our house burned down? Are my parents?
Seems to me that some destruction can be creative, but I’m not you. Maybe, as an audience, you will sense, in the present moment, coupled to perceptions of the past, or anticipation of the future, even amid destructive elements of the world that seem wanton, an unveiling, in these landscapes.
Because the search, in my landscapes, is to find a simple heartbeat, of the natural world.
My father’s ancestral land, the bones of an old growth forest, were farmed - cleared and sold - to pay for my arts education. The body of work seen in my most recent installation is, therefore, a reverence for what I have, and will, become, from the gifts of Nature. It nods to the debt we all owe bounty of the Earth, for our actual, factual existence. These images thank my folks, and the regenerating forest I loved so much as a child, for helping me to become whatever it is that I am, now.
In terms of process, construction of a painting, with emphasis on the individual, singular brush stroke, can be arduous. But removal of paint, in creation of subtle textures, is much faster. So it has always been: creation is hard; destruction - more simple. But both addition and degradation of surface paints, as indicative of loss and regrowth within the natural world, constitute an organic, and consistent, whole. So: procedures in paint application, and removal, source the physical acts of disruption in nature, by, or beyond, direct cause, of man.
Color, texture, and the placement of hues, in range of saturation, replicate my observations of nature’s cycles, from old to new; abrupt or gradual. Soil, sand, ash, wax and other organic resources are of use to mix into the paint, so the resulting piece might hew or integrate, as much as possible, the painting’s inspiration.
It’s as if we’re all layers of brush strokes, veils, on the face of the Earth. Somehow, we integrate that which has been lost, into our physical and emotional existence, through time. For me, I feel it in daily resistance, to natural change. But, as the Appalachians testify, not even stone is static.
This painting series, by craft, intent, or physical substance, hint at that daily disruption of life, and our losing efforts to piece back together, time-and-again, our own small space, in the world. This installation nods to my family. To our land. To the myriad cycles of Nature, that rattle delicate human sensibility. Am I alive, in the same way, since our house burned down? Are my parents?
Seems to me that some destruction can be creative, but I’m not you. Maybe, as an audience, you will sense, in the present moment, coupled to perceptions of the past, or anticipation of the future, even amid destructive elements of the world that seem wanton, an unveiling, in these landscapes.
Because the search, in my landscapes, is to find a simple heartbeat, of the natural world.
-A. C. Sweet, 2011
About the Artist
Raised on a small animal farm, in the South Carolina Piedmont, Ms. Amanda C. Sweet took her final two years of high school, as a boarder, at South Carolina’s Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities (SCGSAH). While there, her talents as a visual artist were fortunately recognized, and nurtured.
Following this formative professional training, Ms. Sweet continued practical art studies, at the world-renowned Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), in Providence, RI. Her time at RISD included a study-abroad in France, an experience during which she created work in Paris, Aix-en-Provence, Auvers-sur-Oise, Cannes, and Nice, whilst enrolled in the Pont Aven’s School of Contemporary Art, in Bretagne (“The City of Painters”), for intensive study of French Impressionism. Principle artists examined: Vuillard; Toulouse-Lautrec; Gauguin; and van Gogh. Van Gogh’s determination to paint only natural, lush, native textures and environs greatly impacted Ms. Sweet’s art, during this time, as did the following modality work: montypes; etchings; and linocuts.
Upon return to RISD, scholastics in 2D (color theory & materials), 3D design, as well as additional drawing, portfolio, and administrative studies, cemented Ms. Sweet’s commitment to creating oil landscapes. Ms. Sweet exhibited in numerous Providence-based group art shows, including two jury selected exhibitions at Brown University. Ms. Sweet was a forerunner for utilizing the upstairs office space of Brown’s Hillel “Jewish Life” Building as an additional art space for RISD painting students to exhibit. Upon graduation from RISD, in 2007 (degreed in Painting, with concentration in English), she moved, immediately, to Brooklyn, to explore an independent painting practice.
While in NYC, Ms. Sweet flourished. An invited member of two artist collectives (Hospitium Collective and The Antagonist Art Movement), she curated, and exhibited, in large group shows throughout Williamsburg, and Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Additionally, she interned as Project Curator & Art Administrator, at the International Print Center New York, NY (I.P.C.N.Y. is the first non-profit art space devoted to printmaking, in Chelsea), and volunteered, in the Bedford Stuyvesant and Bushwick communities, for grass-roots organizations offering arts training to underprivileged, at risk, youth.
But as a landscape, materials-based artist, Ms. Sweet required more direct contact with her subject matter. For that reason, she recently returned to the Carolinas, North and South, to paint their lush, expansive upland forests, and vibrant, red, rolling hills. This love of native southeastern lands, lensed, now, through a substantial education, and experienced appreciation of regional culture, also led Ms. Sweet to settle in inimitable Asheville, NC, along with her dog, Buster Roonald Blue Rooster Cogburn.
Following this formative professional training, Ms. Sweet continued practical art studies, at the world-renowned Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), in Providence, RI. Her time at RISD included a study-abroad in France, an experience during which she created work in Paris, Aix-en-Provence, Auvers-sur-Oise, Cannes, and Nice, whilst enrolled in the Pont Aven’s School of Contemporary Art, in Bretagne (“The City of Painters”), for intensive study of French Impressionism. Principle artists examined: Vuillard; Toulouse-Lautrec; Gauguin; and van Gogh. Van Gogh’s determination to paint only natural, lush, native textures and environs greatly impacted Ms. Sweet’s art, during this time, as did the following modality work: montypes; etchings; and linocuts.
Upon return to RISD, scholastics in 2D (color theory & materials), 3D design, as well as additional drawing, portfolio, and administrative studies, cemented Ms. Sweet’s commitment to creating oil landscapes. Ms. Sweet exhibited in numerous Providence-based group art shows, including two jury selected exhibitions at Brown University. Ms. Sweet was a forerunner for utilizing the upstairs office space of Brown’s Hillel “Jewish Life” Building as an additional art space for RISD painting students to exhibit. Upon graduation from RISD, in 2007 (degreed in Painting, with concentration in English), she moved, immediately, to Brooklyn, to explore an independent painting practice.
While in NYC, Ms. Sweet flourished. An invited member of two artist collectives (Hospitium Collective and The Antagonist Art Movement), she curated, and exhibited, in large group shows throughout Williamsburg, and Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Additionally, she interned as Project Curator & Art Administrator, at the International Print Center New York, NY (I.P.C.N.Y. is the first non-profit art space devoted to printmaking, in Chelsea), and volunteered, in the Bedford Stuyvesant and Bushwick communities, for grass-roots organizations offering arts training to underprivileged, at risk, youth.
But as a landscape, materials-based artist, Ms. Sweet required more direct contact with her subject matter. For that reason, she recently returned to the Carolinas, North and South, to paint their lush, expansive upland forests, and vibrant, red, rolling hills. This love of native southeastern lands, lensed, now, through a substantial education, and experienced appreciation of regional culture, also led Ms. Sweet to settle in inimitable Asheville, NC, along with her dog, Buster Roonald Blue Rooster Cogburn.
After years far afield, it is no coincidence that Ms. Sweet also lives within driving distance of her mathematician father, psychologist mother, and classical composer brother, to whom she dedicates her most recent show at The Artery, along with her eldest brother Scott, who passed away, unexpectedly, a short while ago.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Paintings 2005 - 2012.
Sweet Pond Remains, Oil on Panel, 24" x 24". (2012). Sold.
Sweet Family Home, From Start to Finish, Oil, Soil and Ash on Canvas, 18" x 12". (2012).
Fraser Firs and the Balsam Woolly Adelgid, Clingman's Dome - Smoky Mountains,
Oil and Encaustic on Wood Panel, 24" x 42". (2012). Sold.
Reedy River Void, Oil, Tissue Paper, & Wax Medium on Stretched Panel, 18"x24". Sold.
Dead Fall, Oil & Wax Medium on Canvas, 36"x24". Sold.
Sweet Family Home Exposed, Soil, Ash, & Oil on Canvas, 16"x20". (2012).
Pratt City Twister, Soil & Oil on Canvas, 16"x20".
Island in the Sky, Red Clay, Soil, & Oil on Canvas, 10"x12". (2012). Sold.
Dead of Winter, Soil, Sand, & Oil on Canvas, 12"x12". (2012). Sold.
Bearwallow Mountain, Oil on Canvas, 18"x18".
Dead Flowers, Oil and Soil on Canvas, 12"x18".
Montgomery Land, Oil on Panel, 12"x9". Sold.
Silver Platter, Oil on Canvas Stretched Panel, 60"x54".
Katrina House, Oil on Canvas, 48"x24".
South of France, Oil on Stretched Panel, 42"x24".
Physical Stimuli, Acrylic, Oil, & Wax Medium on Canvas, 72"x48".
Preconceived Notions, Acrylic, Pen, Sharpie, Tissue Paper, Tape, & Matt Medium on Canvas, 36"x48". Sold.
Mounds Forever, Acrylic, Oil, & Gold Dusting on Stretched Panel, 36"x18". Sold
Oh Daddy, Oil on Stretched Panel, 36"x18".
Oil Field, Oil on Canvas, 72"x48". Sold
Oldie Goldie, Oil on Canvas, 24"x24".
Couches, Oil on Canvas, 24""x24".
Pattern on Couch, Oil on Canvas, 24"x24". Destroyed in Sweet House Fire
Spring Embers, Oil and Soil on Canvas, 18"x18".
Austrian Gold, Acrylic and Oil on Canvas, 24"x12".
Begonia, Gouache on Panel, 6"x9".
The Inbetween, Oil & Wax Medium, 46"x62".
Swimmers, Oil & Tissue Paper on Canvas, 48"x60".
City Frights, Oil & Wax Medium on Panel, 18"x30".
Lady in Chair, Oil on Canvas, 30"x40".
At the Stick, Acrylic, Oil, & Wax Medium on Canvas, 30"x40".
Well House at The Low Place, Oil & Wax Medium, 5"x7".
Animal Zoo, Acrylic and Oil on Canvas, 12"x5".
Window, Oil & Encaustic on Linen, 48"x24".
Euclid Room Interior, Oil & Pencil on Canvas, 36"x60".
Works on Paper, 2006 - 2010.
Unveiling, Silkscreen on Bristol, 12 x 18 in.
Veil I, Silkscreen on Bristol, 12 x 18 in.
Pontavenistes, Ink, Chalk, & Matt Medium on Tissue Paper, 12 x 9 in.
Time Capsule, Monotype on Reeves BFK Paper, 18 x 24 in.
Katrina House, Study, Ink on Handmade Paper, 10 x 5 in.
Late Night Excursions, Marker & Ink on Handmade Paper, 5 x 5 in.
Beneath the Heap, Intaglio & Monotype Print on Reeves BFK Paper, 12 x 16 in.
Germ City II, Winter Green Oil Transfer & Intaglio Print on Reeves BFK Paper, 30 x 24 in.
Deep Breath, Ink on Bristol, 16 x 12 in.
Twenty Two Thousand Seconds, More or Less, Ink on Handmade Paper, 30 x 24 in.
Indonesian Tsunami III, Intaglio Print on Paper, 9 x 12 in.
La Famille Lieu de Repos, Ink on Vellum, 24 x 18 in.
Fibers II, Intaglio Print on Reeves BFK Paper, 6 x 4 in.
Fibers I, Intaglio Print on Reeves BFK Paper, 6 x 4 in.
Fibers III, Intaglio Print on Reeves BFK Paper, 6 x 4 in.
Fibers IV, Intaglio Print on Reeves BFK Paper, 6 x 4 in.
Begonia Study.
Indonesian Tsunami IV.
Self Portrait Study II.
Domesticity III.
Domesticity IV.
Feet.
Eastern Japanese Wood Block Study. Destroyed in Sweet House Fire.
detail.
Providence Morning.
Cesanne's Mountain.
Weekend Warriors, 7"x 5" (with Frame).
Cow City. Donated to 123 Community Grass Roots Space, Brooklyn, NY.
detail.
Self Portrait Study I.
Bed Study in Bed Stuy, 4"x6".
Domesticity I.
Domesticity II.
Germ City.
Pont-Aven River, Bretagne France. Destroyed in Sweet House Fire.
Self Portrait Study III.
Strings.
Studio Lunch.
The Low Place.
The Rock Hole.
Germ City II.
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