AMRTA
You are one of our artists who paints under a different name. We've also heard that you moved out west from a different location. What's the story with that, or are we to assume you are on the run?
Shhhh! Don’t blow my cover.
I grew up in Clarksville, Tennessee with a lot of dirt, daffodils, and restlessness. It is a military town, the hub of Ft. Campbell. Since as young as four, I knew I would move away. My father was thirty years special forces and the worry I had about losing him, and the loss we had around us, I knew I would never stay there. That and I was just one of those sensitive kids born with a lot of wonder. I spent a lot of my childhood staring out my bedroom window wondering what was out there. I was always an artist and performer. By age fourteen I was a national champion dancer. I have always needed art and expression as a way to say the things I cannot, a way to put down and express the things I cannot hold. Art saved my life, and continues to. I got three jobs to save enough money to move to California. I finally packed my car and drove out in 2007. My evolution as a painter and as Amrta came later, but it has been such an incredible and challenging part of myself to step into.
Speaking of that other name, what's the meaning behind Amrta and how does that fit into the nature of what drives your work?
Amrta comes from my deep love of mythology, comparative religion, and storytelling in general. I have always had the feeling that the ways that we divide ourselves into groups and hierarchies is completely false. Reading was always my way to feel connected to that mystic truth. Amrta or Amrita (Ambrosia), shows up everywhere in ancient Buddhist texts, in different Greek, Hindu, Hebrew mythologies. Amrta is always some healing, mystic, drink of the gods. One particular myth I read, I believe it is an ancient Hindu myth, was that after the long battle of life had been fought, Amrta (Amritam) would fall from the sky as a drink of immortality. A sign that the battle was over. I remember reading this myth late at night in a book by Joseph Campbell and I put the book down for a long time and was emotional. My life in so many ways has felt like a series of long battles. Deep wounds. I decided in that moment maybe it was time to no longer be identified by my wounds but instead, create my own Amrta, and regenerate myself. I do not have to wait for the world to rain down Amrta. I will be Amrta for myself. So, Amrta Art was born.
All that being said, my work is a forever evolving exploration of universal themes of how we are all interconnected, all struggling on this wild ride together. I also add a bit of irreverence into my work, because my biggest goal is to make people feel freer, so by mixing the highbrow with the lowbrow, it is more representative of me, and hopefully, of all of us.
You have a creative background with other forms of expressing yourself. Has painting always been around for you, or is this new?
Yes. I am so lucky to be working in the arts in so many ways. Painting has always been one of the most secret parts of me. It is definitely one of my newer artistic endeavors. I love how much it challenges me, pushes me to my edges of seeing and understanding, and I love that it satisfies that quiet part of me that needs to be in a room alone listening to music just moving my body.
You showed up at ShockBoxx in a way that just said, "I'm here now." We are guessing there is more to that story and this is part of your way of being. If so, where does that come from?
I love that that is how I came across! Shockboxx has been one of those gifts I cannot say enough about. I challenged myself a year or so ago to be more active on Instagram with my art and Shockboxx came up through another gallery. Something drew me to the Shockboxx page and I was immediately very impressed. It was this great sigh of relief. Mike was interested and interactive with me and with other artists and it was genuine. It energetically felt so aligned with what I want to do with art and for artistic communities. If the people and artists aren’t seen, we won’t get genuine art, and that is what the world needs more than ever.
As far as that being part of the way I am, I think that the positive energy of Shockboxx nurtured and brought that out of me in the best possible way.
You are an emerging artist at an emerging gallery. Any tips for new artists wanting to break into a new level?
One foot so gratefully in front of the other. It is such an amazing and brave thing to pursue art on a professional level, so congrats! As far as what I have learned, surround yourself with people who are better than you and try new and interesting and weird things. Don’t be too precious about your pieces. You may make pieces that you will cover up over and over and that process is incredible and it is the process not the outcome. If you have to turn your paintings around because you can’t look at them in the process, do that, DON’T sit there and beat yourself up. There is something you got out of that session of work. Trust that. Ask questions, get critiques, support other artists. Build a community, it will keep you going. You are needed and necessary and there is a place for you. We forget sometimes how powerful artists are. Tap into that and hold onto it for the hard days.
Also, go on long walks away from all of it to hear yourself.
A quote I love:
“The institutions of human society treat us as parts of a machine. They assign us ranks and place considerable pressure upon us to fulfill defined roles. We need something to help us restore our lost and distorted humanity. Each of us has feelings that have been suppressed and have built up inside. There is a voiceless cry resting in the depths of our souls, waiting for expression. Art gives the soul's feelings voice and form.” -Diasaku Ikeda
