Artist-in-Residence
July 31 – August 14, 2015
Amanda Boyd
“Moving to a new community, even for a short amount of time, opens the mind to new possibilities and a lot of knowledge, experience and connections are yet to be gained.”
Having recently graduated with her MFA from Eastern Illinois University, Boyd is eager to show her processes and techniques to the art world. This opportunity in Good Hart is perfect for cutting her teeth on being a resident artist. Being surrounded by the Northern Michigan nature and environment will fuel her new projects because it is nature and the emotions it instils in Boyd that allow her to create.
Graphic Designer at Doudna Fine Arts Center of Eastern Illinois University, Amanda Boyd embraces the challenge of interacting and connecting with a new community and environment during her CTAC Artist Residency. Working away from home with new people may bring about different perspectives, enhancing her own perceptions of nature—her inspiration.
In my experience, the wilderness leaves me to feel vulnerable, and in conjunction with the darkness of night, this brings a new level of fear. It’s as though I have become only a speck within the immersive and densely populated woods that consume me. This psychological view of nature is what drives my creative process, allowing me to recall these emotions and create a space of my own. Through the use of materials like charcoal, chalk pastels, and soot, I frantically build my image, layering these different mediums, then return to these layers and remove areas by erasing the surface and excavating the image. The seductive use of materials and mark making allow each drawing to read as both celestial and earthbound; an interesting dichotomy of environmental exploration.
My intent is to let the mind lose control and confront the chaos; as the eye wanders, the viewer becomes lured into the depths of the mysterious darkness provoking the individual to become lost within themselves.
