Artist of the Month: Amica Whincop Explores the Balance Between Chaos and Void

Art Lovers Australia gives access to a number of inspiring artists all over Australia. From photography to mixed media painting, the newly founded website allows emerging artists to showcase and sell their work.

Among these artists, and our current artist of the month, is Queensland painter, Amica Whincop. Amica paints cool, complex depictions of the natural organic world. We were given the chance to talk to Amica and get to know a little more about her work and her inspiration.

Amica defines her painting process as intuitive and spontaneous. But over her practices, she has learnt to understand and take advantage of this spontaneous process in what she calls a “controlled randomness”. She still allows the paint to take over when she is feeling inspired, but she has an understanding of where it is going.

Amica uses a fascinating method when creating her work. From first glance, the paintings are “stone like” forms painted across a white canvas. But her process is in fact the opposite. Her first step is to start with that chaotic, colourful layer, where she lets her mind and creativity run free. She experiments with an array of colours and textures, letting her imagination explore every space and corner.

After this process, she will paint over the chaos in white, to create a void among slightly touching shapes. While it may seem unnecessary to paint over the colour, it is this process that creates the depth of the product: a complex sense of balance between chaos and nothingness. In this way, the colour peaks through the gaps instead of being placed over the space. Amica’s paintings reflect the beauty between the spaces.

Amica equates the experience of painting to life itself. While some parts of the process come easily and effortlessly, there are still aspects that are difficult and lengthy. But this is what makes the process so exciting, and what inspires so many artists to keep going. Just like her artwork, it is the balance between the two that creates the complex beauty.

A lot of Amica’s inspiration actually comes from the process of painting itself; the way the ink moves and pours over the canvas, the way the colours react to one another. But the main vision behind her work comes from the nature around her. She loves the beauty of the organic, the formation of rocks, the ocean, flora, the way things grow and decay. Through painting, she endeavours to encapsulate the depth and complexity of the natural world.

Before painting full time, Amica worked as a secondary art educator in her hometown, so she is was always surrounded by art and creativity. As a teacher, she would derive a natural high from seeing her students get enthused and inspired by their work, and seeing them perk up when they feel they are about to create something beautiful.

Amica currently resides in Gympie, Queensland. Being a small town, she has less access to the creative, artistic hubs of metropolitan areas, but she uses this to her advantage. The peace and tranquillity of living in a remote area is what helps her clear her head and gives her the space she needs to create wonderful pieces.

Amica’s professional painting career has only just begun and has already lead her to so many divine creations. If you’re compelled by Amica’s inspiring artwork, head to Art Lovers Australia to see more and even see if any of her works entices you.

About Amica Whincop

“Stone-like” forms float, loosely connected in an apparent void of negative space, but underneath this expanse, lies the concealed elements of a whole painting. The underpainting is essential in creating the fluidity and connectedness of the forms that become the final anchors of the piece. Amica moves the paint around intuitively with water, gravity and spray paint, layering with pours and washes to imitate natural processes and formations. As the paint settles into itself, the idea of a painting is established. Amica seeks out organic shapes, highlighting them to chart a pathway through the work. Everything left is concealed behind an opaque, flat ground, and the forms arise as the focal point. When there is nothing left to mask, and the tension between ground and form, positive and negative is balanced, resolution is achieved. “I am intrigued by the perfect imperfection found in natural beauty, and use colour and form to evoke its sense of mystery and wonder. My approach to painting is relaxed and intuitive, rather than analytical. It’s a beautiful chaos to paint this way.” Educated as a visual artist and educator, she graduated from QUT in 2003 with a double degree in Visual Arts and Secondary Education. Now settled in the country of town of Gympie, Queensland with her husband and three children, she works as both an artist and visual arts educator.

Events:

The Other Art Fair Melbourne, The Facility. |May 4 – 7th, 2017.

Exhibitions:

Dual Elements | Joint Exhibition | Left Bank Gallery, Gold Coast. May 1st – 19th.

[6×6!] Group Exhibition| Metropolis Gallery, Geelong.4 – 20 May2017

“Second Nature”, Solo Exhibition | Artisan / BCM Crucible Gallery. Fortitude Valley | QLD | Mar 17 – 10 May.2017

“Holding Space”, Solo Exhibition | Michael Reid Gallery, Murrurundi | NSW | January 6th – February 26th. 2017

Rush Art Competition/Exhibition | | Gympie Regional Gallery |QLD | Oct 4- 22nd

“Unchartered, the Space Between” | Joint Exhibition| The Garden Haus, Maleny| QLD |12 Sep – 5th Oct

Showcase Artist | Awake Live Performance Show | 19th August | Awake Studio | Gympie.

Group Show | Artisans @ Work | Brisbane Art Prize, Judith Wright Centre |QLD| 18th August

Group Show | Artisans @ Work | Winter Trees on Mary Festival |QLD| 20th July

Feature Artist | Ambience Store Project & Cultural Flanerie, Newfarm| QLD | June 2-27th

Group Show | Taking it to The Edge | Gympie Regional Gallery | QLD | April 19th – May 14th

Special Merit Award | Light, Space & Time Online Art Gallery | USA | April 1

Group Show | Artisans @ Work | Gympie Easter on Mary Festival | QLD | 23rd March

Taste of Art Group Exhibition | Noosa Art Gallery | Feb 5th – Mar 7th | QLD