Amy Williams

"#56 – BOTH WOUNDED A LITTLE", ink, pencil, gouache, collage, found text, poetry

2020

"#186 – WOUNDED WERE COMING" is from Amy Williams' series A Farewell to Arms – wherein the artist works directly onto pages of a found copy of Ernest Hemingway's WWII romance novel. The artist selects certain words and phrases from page 186 to isolate as a poem, and then draws, inks, redacts and paints the rest of the page according to the text. The resulting poem reads "The wounded were coming / men that were scared / I felt the rain in my face / It was getting dark." – Hemingway's novel is a doomed romance between a wounded American soldier and an Italian nurse – note the feminine form on the page, with a "dress" or apron that looks skeletal, bloody and rained upon, all at once. From Amy Williams – "My recent work is focused on making treated book pages using a found vintage...

"#71 – THEN IT'S HOPELESS?" is from Amy Williams' series A Farewell to Arms – wherein the artist is working directly onto page 71 of a found copy of Ernest Hemingway's WWII romance novel. The artist selects certain words and phrases from the page to isolate as a poem, and then draws, inks, redacts and paints the rest of the page according to the text of the poem. Here the poem reads: "Then it's hopeless? / But sometimes I cannot hope. / I cannot." Note the poem is outlined in dark red and purple radiating lines, while outside there are lighter violet, blue and white lines. From Amy Williams – "My recent work is focused on making treated book pages using a found vintage...

Collage by Torea Frey created using found papers from vintage dictionaries and thesauruses, graphite powder, and matte medium. Torea is a writer,...

"Do America a Favor," Is a highly conceptual mixed media abstraction by artist Vivian Liddell. With impressive yarn work mixed with the paint go cohesively coincide with the text filing the piece with detail and precision. Liddell often walks the line between contemporary art and craft. Working to bring materials that are traditionally labeled as "craft" and lesser into the contemporary conversation. Mixing craft with one of the most respected and oldest forms of fine art, painting, really encourages the viewer to view the two on the same playing field. The idea of craft is settled into these gestural, layered works, constantly critiquing contemporary culture. This piece is currently unframed, but framing options are available. For more works follow our storefront at Gallery 1202. "As a painter, I often work on large, raw canvas. My abstract paintings merge formal painting and “bad” craft to challenge the high-low separation of materials (and related gender hierarchies) that have traditionally been present in the art world. The monotypes are like a calligraphic practice. I use them as a warm up to allow me to feel confident with a gesture before committing it to a larger scale. I work in layers, often sewing or incorporating fabric into the finished piece, and incorporate chance into each stage of my process. The text/titles often come from song lyrics, local radio commercials, and news headlines. I edit these snippets and piece them together to reflect my interpretation of current politics and social norms, especially as they relate to gender. Vivian Liddell is an interdisciplinary artist in Athens, Georgia who works with painting, fiber and craft techniques, sculpture, printmaking, photography, animation and sound. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, she received her BFA from the University of Georgia and her MFA from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. Liddell’s work has been featured in solo and curated exhibitions throughout the United States, including at the Wiregrass Museum of Art, the Macon Museum of Arts and Sciences, and Trestle Gallery in Brooklyn. In 2019 she had two solo exhibitions of her “Men” series at the Versa Gallery in Chattanooga and 621 Gallery in Tallahassee, with a review of the Versa exhibition in BURNAWAY and was recently picked by Berlin curator Tina Sauerlaender as a featured artist on Foundwork. Liddell hosts a podcast (Peachy Keen) as an extension of her art practice, interviewing women on art and the South. She is an Assistant Professor of Painting and Drawing at the University of North Georgia...