"Just Imagine" series 2016
Just imagine a construction zone where nature is built in instead of torn out. This new series of work is inspired by buildings under construction in Toronto and New York. The structures are juxtaposed with waterfalls and mountain ranges from Iceland, California and Colorado.
My paintings are intended to portray urban life at its best, demonstrating ways that we can work with nature rather than against it. I envision post-industrial worlds where sustainable relationships exist between man and the environment. By exploring the continually evolving approaches to preserving our environment and living more efficiently, I suggest how we can implement innovative solutions for city planning and development with minimal impact on surrounding habitats.
This synthesis of ideas is manifested in how I paint. As in real life construction, the architectural aspects of my work are calculated, measured and controlled in order to assure precise locations of each line. As in nature, the environmental elements are more spontaneous, unpredictable and liquid. Using squeeze bottles filled with liquid paint I build each piece from the ground up with hundreds of lines and/or dots. After years of experimenting with gravity and rotating my canvas, I am able to manipulate where and how each drip will fall. - Amy Shackleton
