Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Turner.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am a life-long Angeleno and I grew up in The Valley. I watched my dad as an artist (along with his day job of a dentist) and I learned so much watching and creating alongside him. I did not go to art school but feel I had a great starting point learning from my dad. He passed away in 2009 and now I work out of his art studio, in my mom’s backyard, so it feels like a nice full-circle moment. I have always believed that anything in art is fair game to try. It may not always work, but there is a huge freedom in that!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Being an artist is a wonderful but chaotic world to be a part of. Always having to put yourself and your work out there. It’s hard to be vulnerable and show your ideas. But I love what I do and I do all kinds of work within “art” to make it all happen. And I love volunteering murals or drawing classes at LAUSD. That is such a beautiful way to be in community.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My most recent project involves transforming discarded wild-posting ads from L.A. streets into vibrant wall art. Early in 2022, Los Angeles experienced a huge amount of rain and I started seeing all of these ads fallen to the ground and covering sidewalks throughout the city (especially where I live off of Beverly Blvd/ Fairfax). I started seeing them everywhere and had a very strong inclination to start collecting them, but having no plan as to what to do with them. I began drying them out and seeing the decay of these amazing colorful ads was very intriguing. I started making art out of them and loved using only the materials I found on the street. It feels very good to take basically TRASH from the streets and make something beautiful or provocative. I love when people appreciate the upcycling nature of this process and then seeing how interesting the images can be. It’s a beautiful way to honor L.A. and give new life to discarded advertisements. I have over 100 pieces of art (and counting) from this project.
How do you think about luck?
I think being surrounded by a family who believes in the arts and a creative life, has really been a lucky thing for me. I never take for granted how lucky I am to be seen as someone who has a different way of seeing the world and been supported by those who love me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://AMYTURNERSTUDIO.com
- Instagram: AmyTurnerStudio
