| Amanda Dumas-Hernandez |
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The idea of a “Clean Thought” is something that is probably different for each individual depending greatly on their upbringings and belief systems. Conventional ideas of purity and beauty, as well as ideals of majestic things and their fragility are part of the paradoxical nature of this recent body of work. Constructs such as irony, contradiction, conundrum, and juxtaposition are always constants in my creative process, although my media and method may vary from piece to piece. I work very intuitively and my ideas form cumatively–one idea transforming into a completely different idea while carrying a rhythmic resonance of its origin. Miles Davis once said, “When I trip on a crack in the sidewalk I make music out of it,” –my mantra for the intuitive, improvisational way that I think and create. Making viewers think about what they are seeing...for them to analyze it internally...finding their own truths, is for me another important aspect of my work. As in life, most often times what you see is not entirely what you get. The more I live the more I see unfathomable complexity in all things. I love the absurdity of making something beautiful or intriguing out of something that should be commonplace or banal and creating an intrinsic meaning from the material, such as my Ivory Soap pieces made of porcelain . Ivory Soap has been an icon in American culture for over one hundred years. The smell of Ivory Soap evokes memories of childhood and all things clean and good (plus the whimsical fact that it also floats!) It is noted to be “99-44/100% Pure.” Does this obscure equation mean that the soap is 55% pure? What is in the remaining 45 percent? How pure is it? These questions illustrate how Ivory Soap is analagous to most all things considered “pure.” (Ironically, porn star Marilynn Chambers was once in an Ivory Soap advertisement holding a baby.) Because of its purity claim despite its ambiguous content, I found Ivory Soap to be a perfect building material, especially for an “Ivory Tower.” I began the work for this show differently, for me, than in the past. I started with the concept of “Clean Thoughts.” I have contemplated all kinds of ridiculous notions such as how to arrive at a “Clean Thought.” Two recurring ideas were “brain washing” and “washing one’s mouth out with soap,” both very relevant to the current political climate in the world today. Both concepts leave behind sterile thoughts and a bad taste in one’s mouth. Both can have either a funny or horrifying visual. I find comedy to be most often very profound and a way to speak of improper things and truths. I contribute the comic element of my work to my unconventional upbringing in the rural Southern United States, where eccentricity of character and poking fun at inappropriate things were appreciated. I have always rebelled against imposed homogeneity. If all bacteria and dirt were eradicated from the earth and everyone was forced to have only the same “Clean Thoughts,” needless to say all life (and all good, dirty fun) would cease to exist. BIO Amanda Dumas–Hernandez is an American interdisciplinary artist who uses the practices of sculpture, painting, installation, and digital imaging in her work. Dumas-Hernandez earned an MFA from the NY State College of Art and Design at Alfred University, USA, a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), USA, and has attended the Munchen Akademie der Bildenden Künste, Germany. She has exhibited, and been reviewed/featured in art publications throughout the USA, Europe, and Australia. This is her second Solo exhibition with GroundFloor Gallery. Visit Amanda's website: www.amandadumas.com GroundFloor Gallery 2006
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