By Laura Hou
Visual art is different from writing. One does not have the ability or the luxury of expression through words, instead, the naked inside of the artist is laid bare under other’s eyes. The uttermost intimate feelings are shown through one’s art. Art uses imagery, instead of words, it requires the interpretation of others for the meaning to shine through. Every piece of art is interpreted differently, it might mean one thing to some but it might mean something completely different to another.
Visual art is different from writing. One does not have the ability or the luxury of expression through words, instead, the naked inside of the artist is laid bare under other’s eyes. The uttermost intimate feelings are shown through one’s art. Art uses imagery, instead of words, it requires the interpretation of others for the meaning to shine through. Every piece of art is interpreted differently, it might mean one thing to some but it might mean something completely different to another.
Amy Young started art when she was really young. She was self-taught at first but in grade 10 she wanted to improve her skills. So, she went to a studio where she learned the techniques and basics of visual art. Amy views art as a form of creative freedom, she believes that anything is possible on the two-dimensional surface. Through art, anything can be expressed, it doesn’t have to be interpreted the way you want it to, it just needs to be a vehicle for the artist to express his or her feelings. Art is extremely expressive, every little detail can mean something, everything combined together brings the piece of art to life. Amy’s art portfolio for the art show is about the somewhat cynical reality that is often glossed over and ignored. Cynical realism is a type of contemporary Chinese art, it reveals the truth about society in often satirical ways. We often focus on hiding the truth because it is ugly we tend to forget that the truth is the only thing that contains meaning. Amy’s art portfolio took her about two years to finish. She has thought of every little detail and how it would contribute to her art. Writers are often told to consider every single word they put into their writing, what does each word do and how it contributes to the entire piece in general. Art is somewhat the same, nothing is there without a reason, it’s everything put together that gives the art meaning.
The most challenging part of art for Amy is being able to create something that is both appealing to her and at the same time still fit the theme that she wants to express. Artists can get lost in their own work and forget their central idea, it is important to keep the core in the middle of the art in order to convey the idea the artists want. Amy has a lot of favourite artists, especially on Instagram; lizard_milk, audraauclair, inktho, jamsiean and _huiguorou are some of her favorites. In the future, Amy wants to be an illustrator and an author. So, best wishes to Amy as she heads off to University and wherever she decides to go, may she leave a little bit of her art behind.
And if you want to see more of Amy’s art, go follow her on Instagram at Inksmuggler.