Interview with Amanda Allmark
Words by Meg Bulmer
What does art mean to you? The wonderful thing about art is that no two people will have the same answer to that question. Some people find joy in the creative process, regardless of its product, while others find peace in observing artworks created by others. Whether you’re the former or the latter, or something else entirely, art runs through every aspect of life and inevitably holds great meaning for each of us. This personal connection of the individual to art is the theme of the Norman Rea Gallery’s current exhibition: INhibition. The curation brief: whatever represents what art means to you. The gallery has created a space which not only enables but fosters discussion around what art truly is and how it can mean different things for different people..
One of the artworks curated for INhibition, entitled ‘Love Heals: Cracking Open’, was created by Amanda Allmark, and I contacted her to find out more about her personal connection to art, both as a creator and as an observer.
Love Heals by Amanda Allmark
To Amanda ‘art, in whatever form, is a wonderful and necessary outlet for creative expression’. She elaborated on what she means by ‘necessary outlet’ by stating that ‘art can be a hugely important channel for raising awareness and facilitating change; breaking down preconceived ideas and celebrating individuality’. Her insight offers an important perspective on art; it’s not always just something pleasing to the eye, and has the power to be an active force for change and growth. She summarised this eloquently by explaining that ‘creativity is our life force; without it nothing would change’.
One of the greatest insights we can gain into another’s individual connection to art is through their favourite artists and artworks. When quizzed on her favourite artwork, Amanda found it difficult to choose just one; she claimed that ‘it is hard to pinpoint an exact favourite piece’ before continuing that she is ‘particularly drawn to work that tackles the human condition’. Within this artistic theme is one of Amanda’s favourite pieces: “I want my time with you” by Tracey Emin, which she described as ‘a beautiful pink neon 20 metre sign hanging in St Pancras Station’. She delved into why she feels connected to this piece, explaining that ‘words are so powerful and so open to personal interpretation just in the way a piece of abstract art can be. I think this particular piece emulates warmth and connection and that really speaks to [her]’. Amanda then expanded on why Emin is her favourite artist, explaining that ‘Emin’s work exemplifies a courage and vulnerability to address difficult experiences through art. Human nature can have a tendency to shy away from, or shut down, emotive subjects; and through her work she does the opposite’, which is something that Amanda relates to.
Growing Love by Amanda Allmark
Our individual interpretation of and connection to art impacts how we interact with artwork in all aspects of life, and for artists there’s an additional dimension to this: inspiration. When asked about where she finds inspiration for her work, Amanda replied: ‘I think generally it has been my life experiences that have really informed my work. I have been exposed to quite a degree of adversity and as a result I feel passionately about promoting something that evokes a sense of healing and calmness to others,’ before going on to explain that ‘[she] ha[s] a strong desire to nurture self-empowerment and individuality’ which she reflects in her work. Amanda then commented on how both negative and positive experiences can inspire you to create art, stating that ‘ironically it is the more negative behaviours that [she] ha[s] encountered that have both empowered and inspired [her] to create the pieces that [she] do[es]’.
No Other Words by Amanda Allmark
There’s an additional dimension of artwork to consider (alongside what we interpret as an observer and what inspires a creator): the message and purpose that an artist hopes to convey through their work. This message may or may not resonate with the people viewing their work, and this can be yet another complex and exciting aspect of art. Amanda’s hope for the people experiencing her art is that they ‘feel connected in a healthy way’ because her work ‘evokes a sense of freedom to do that’. At a deeper level she articulated that she is ‘fascinated by human behaviour and how fear can be so influential in how we relate to one another’, so she hopes that ‘[her] work empowers people and alleviates that sense of fear by transporting them to a more balanced and serene place’.
Love Heals by Amanda Allmark
One of the greatest questions we face when contemplating the meaning of art is ‘is all art equal?’. When faced with this question Amanda explained that ‘[she doesn’t] think it is [her] place to say some art is more worthy than other art’, before going on to say that ‘learning and really honing a skill takes hard work and practice, and that is worthy of acknowledging’. I think this taps into an important consideration for judging the worthiness of art: the skill required in the creation process itself, and the hard work and time that artists invest in their work. Finally, Amanda summarised her view on the individual’s connection to art beautifully, stating that ‘everybody is on an individual path,’ and ‘how we relate to something is dependent on where we are at on an emotional level. Our own personal feelings and experiences will always come into play, for the positive and negative, whether we are aware of that or not’.
INhibition will be up in the gallery space in Derwent until the 25th of November; make sure to go and see Amanda’s brilliant work as well as all the other amazing pieces on display!
