AMANDA BANKER

STATEMENT

My childhood was filled with creating animated shorts, and in contrast, I also explored old masters, imitating their work with oils. Eventually, these stylistic opposites collided. I pursued animation at Cal State Fullerton, focusing on both traditional and computer animation. After my formal education, I began freelance storyboarding, character design and illustration, while working on my own images. However, when I returned to NM, I decided to pursue classical painting. In this regard, I am a self-taught artist who consciously looks to “re-animate” my work, which is largely shaped by animation and a contemporary redefinition with classical techniques.

I use numerous layers, as found in the Venetian technique, to create images with striking contrast. These contrasts are exaggerated by my use of animated characters, surreal and abstracted compositions, and subjects painted in figurative realism. The unfinished lines of sketchy characters, strike a balance between my training as an animator and my artistic need for chaotic expression. My use of bold saturated colors is not only an abutment to contrast but is also used to further connect underlying themes. Nature, beauty, and dark humor are just a few examples of the reoccurring themes in my work. 

Interested in dramatic scenes and societal concerns, my work is always about hope and possibility. I strive to see beyond the subject itself and work at an intuitive level to create striking unique images with vision about the human condition.