A page of Amanda's work journal – Title of the book is "Interupted" Hard Cover 36cm x 28.5cm
Amanda Fraser is a painter whose images are intuitive compositions, using expressive marks and colours. Fraser frequently works in the music industry, creating album covers and inserts. Her energetic marks in her paintings are reminiscent of the music she uses for inspiration. She paints, she dances, she sings, all visually manifesting itself in her work.
Amanda Fraser exhibits regularly throughout Melbourne, Australia; however, more recently she’s been shown in Ward-Nasse Gallery, New York.
In Her Own Words
How did you become an artist?
It all began when I was young and I would draw on things, mainly furniture in my parents home which was busy with seven of us in the family.
What are the most challenging aspects of painting?
Throughout the years of growing up I was in love with great artists such as Rembrandt, Redon, Van Gogh, Giotto and my first exhibition I saw outside of school excursions was when I was twelve years old of Brett Whiteley’s beach collection in Victoria. I was blown away and was just so excited by him which led me onto seeing his influences and life story. I wanted to work large like him. Not to copy him at all but to always be exciting and thrilling while I work and portray that to the viewer. I was then striving to be talented enough and disciplined to actually drive myself towards being an artist in the late 80s yet as a full time professional was not to be until 2006.
In your opinion what are the fundamental disciplines or media do you find integral to the work of an artist and why?
As a student in the old traditional drawing course at Victoria College of the Arts in Melbourne it provided me with the knowledge and capability to warm with others and to divide time between work and my time being alone as a solo artist.
As a professional artist now I look back sadly to see that I was thrown into the commitment of the workforce in previous years which was so stifling on my time and creativity for drawing and painting. It just dug into my free time to work on my first priority of that being art and writing.
It is my pleasure working alone. I love it deeply and wouldn’t have it any other way.
Where do you get your inspiration from? What, or who inspires you the most?
Music is up there with art for me too.
I cannot work without it. I love to dance and I believe I am also dancing with my hands when I work. Using mist parts of the body actually.
Life modelling has and does play a major part in my work too. It is the learning edge to seeing and to combine real life form with abstraction and imagination as well as spirit.
Describe the steps involved in creating your works.
Each day is a new horizon of what where will be on my palette, my board, canvas or sheet. Let alone my mind and who, what and when will be portrayed on each composition for I work so instinctively. That is the process I love to follow and work by. The conversation with self as to when to keep going on a work, when to stop. Which stroke do I add, do I need and want to convey the fullness of the object, place or figure onto the plane. What is my mind saying to do. Everyday is different. It is always fresh with either a blank page or a mix of colour, charcoal and gouache which I love to work with the most.
You’ve travelled a lot and lived a few different countries. How has this effected your work?
Who and what is coming to my minds eye while I work is so important to my work and also so exciting. Flashes, visions, fleeting of imagination, my minds eye and the subject at hand and visceral choices are the elements and components to each work.
Adding, subtracting, the timing and colour form are of significance to the end result.
Whats next for you?
I am working on a book at this point in time. And endeavor to see how that goes in the public arena.
My suggestion to any contender of the arts is to keep plugging away and one day, some days people will see what you are working with. We all carry on and I am with every artist who goes it alone on this fine and great journey of seeing.
Bless
Amanda
Amanda Fraser was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. In 1994 she earned a BA (HONS) in Fine Art from the Victorian College of the in Melbourne. In 1996, she received a diploma for studies in Printmaking from the Melbourne Institute of TAFE, Australia.
Amanda has travelled throughout Australia and spent time in New York, London, Europe and the USA.
In addition to her own art practice, she has worked as an artist-in-residence, lecturer and tutor at several institutions. In 1993, Fraser pronounced her first CD presentation, with insert drawings for the album by Melbourne band Mr Floppy titled “The Unbearable Lightness Of Being a Dickhead.” In 2009, Fraser collaborated with Mozart Khaddafi, Denmark, on his album titled Age of the Testube Gods. In 2012, she worked with musicians Curfew Music, London, on their album cover titled “Outside”.
All images courtesy of Amanda Fraser | www.amandafraser.id.au
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