Featured Artist Amy Kollar Anderson

Amy Kollar Anderson has completed a series of five paintings, which explore the original Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass text, combined with personal metaphors and twists. The work will be displayed in Los Angeles at The Hive Gallery and Studios in March 2011.

“When I was invited to display work at The Hive, they mentioned that the rest of the gallery would be focused on work inspired by ‘Alice in Wonderland.’ I have been a fan of both the writings of Lewis Carroll and the reinterpretations by both Disney and Tim Burton.  I reread the stories and began sketches for my versions of the stories, combing characters from both books and adding new characters, like the Queen of Diamonds.  I enjoyed the series so much that I am continuing the work even after this required series has been shipped to LA.   I have plans to create images for the Wasp in the Wig, the Red Knight and the Queens of Clubs and Spades.”

Amy Kollar Anderson grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. Her inspirations are gathered from the work of the Surrealists, Symbolists, Art Nouveau, and the decorative arts. Intrigued by the forms, textures and colors found in nature, she collects bits of plants, rocks, bones, and feathers, then sorts them in jars in her studio. Her recent Vivarium Series explores divergent environments inside and outside the containers, and addresses issues of environmental concern and child welfare.

She received her B.F.A. from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and her Master of Humanity with a focus in Fine Arts, from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.

She currently lives with her husband and their four cats in Dayton, Ohio, and works as the Gallery Coordinator for the Rosewood Gallery in Kettering, Ohio. When she is not painting, she volunteers time with local organizations such as the SICSA Animal Shelter, Daybreak Youth Shelter, and United Rehabilitation Services.

Artist Statement

With my paintings, I create narratives about obsession and containment to explore the differences between being in-and-out of control. Containment is revealed through locations with physical barriers, but it can also be addressed through the emotional or psychological condition of the individuals. Obsession can be seen in the multitude of details, or in the characters that are fixated with an object or idea. I attempt to find a balance between contrasting concepts, such as control vs. chaos, attraction vs. repulsion, etc.

I find these worlds through an oblique path, beginning with an idea and then wandering my way into the finished piece through multiple layers of color and patterns. Each layer adds to the complexity of the puzzle, and in turn reveals another part of the puzzle differently, affecting the final piece. This kind of revelation and exploration takes time, often with changes in composition and color, but the process uncovers a more complex and satisfying narrative than first glimpsed in that original idea.

I enjoy the process of creating a completely new environment in each painting, complete with new rules about interactions and colors. The aesthetic involves a contrast of overlapping vintage and modern design elements and untraditional paint choices, such as metallic, fluorescent and interference colors. This subtle psychedelic presentation misdirects the viewer from immediately focusing on the issues presented, therefore adding to the harmony and tension in the narrative.

See more of Amy’s portfolio by visiting her website.