Meet Amanda Dunham

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Dunham.

Amanda, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I actually just moved to LA in November from Salem, Massachusetts; a city 30 minutes north of Boston. I had been living there since my graduation from Boston University in 2010, where I received my BFA in Painting and Art History. It was a charming place to live, with a close-knit, artistic community. I was always exhibiting my work locally, including two grant-funded solo exhibitions in 2017.

In all honesty, I would probably still be living there if it weren’t for my trip to California last year to visit my best friend from college, Britt Kuechenmeister. Britt, also a Painting graduate from BU, had been living in Downtown LA for the last three years, working as a neon artist. My visit with her opened my eyes to a much larger source of inspiration; a world and potential existence outside of my little Salem bubble.

Furthermore, the color and architecture that LA has to offer has always been an influence in my paintings, which are commonly compared to the aesthetic of David Hockney. It just felt like the next move to make, and now that I’m here, I’m even more convinced that I made the right decision.

Living in Highland Park has been very productive; I am either out and about, exploring the city, or I am in my studio developing and executing new painting concepts. I was also recently contacted by Hashimoto Gallery in San Francisco to participate in a summer group show, which will be open June 29th and run until July 20th.

Has it been a smooth road?
I don’t think I’ve ever met an Artist that would define their career as a “smooth road”—and if they did, I’m not sure if I would trust them enough to take their work seriously! To be an Artist, or a Painter (as I like to refer to myself) is a whirlwind of psychological ups and downs. For me, the inspiration is either there or it’s not.

I’m manically working in my studio when it is, and I’m thinking about the next source of inspiration when it isn’t. Of course, you have to financially survive along the way- so it’s all about choosing a place of employment that is somewhat negotiable for when you need that special time to create. I am always nannying, generally because I like to be around children so that it keeps my mind young and my imagination strong.

I have also worked as a freelance makeup artist for about six years now, which is, the way I see it, just another exercise to develop my portrait technique, but on a 3D canvas. I am always open to new experiences and different kinds of work because you never really know where the next great painting will come from!

For example, Julian Schnabel’s famed “Plate Paintings” was supposedly inspired by the broken crockery he encountered on a nightly basis, working as a waiter in an NYC restaurant. I heard this story from a Professor at BU, and it has always stuck with me. In a way, it has been a guiding source of wisdom for many of the trifling, petty jobs that I otherwise wouldn’t have appreciated.

We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I am a classically-trained oil painter, with my strength in realistic portraiture. However, as I’ve progressed through time, I’ve noticed that I’ve developed a natural inclination to flirt with the boundaries of color and depth. I approach every object in my paintings with the question of how I’d like to render it; do I make it flat? Do I push towards photorealism? How do these decisions affect the way my viewer thinks and feels about the composition, or the importance of each object? There is undeniably a lot of inspiration that I borrow from English painter, Patrick Caulfield. In many ways, I think his ability to effortlessly interchange photorealism and abstraction makes him the most brilliant, badass artist of the 20th century. If you aren’t familiar with his work, I highly recommend looking him up.

Since my education in 2010, my idea of the common portrait has evolved into an exploration of the relationships between humans and objects; specifically through food and social gatherings. I am attracted to the idea of an “indirect portrait”— an image that alludes to a narrative of personal emotion and existence, but illustrates this concept through the leftover, abandoned remnants of human interaction. A lipstick stain on a restaurant napkin, an empty bottle of whiskey in a public restroom, and so on… Everyday objects and the stories that they tell.

One of my earlier explorations into this concept occurred when I was at a chain restaurant in my 20’s, and I was seated next to a couple who had just ordered a giant Fishbowl cocktail to share. Halfway through the date, I noticed they began to argue, and the woman ran out, crying, followed by the man. As unfortunate as it was, I was amused at the state of the table after they left. The naive Fishbowl was undeterred- still full, with two pink and blue silly straws spiraling out of its vibrant, orange liquid. I promptly went home and painted the sad punch bowl, and later titled it “The Break-Up.”

These are the kinds of innuendos that I have always been attracted to, and the games that I like to play in my artwork.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and the least?
Hmmm… Because Los Angeles is so fresh to me, it’s a difficult question to answer. It’s kind of like experiencing a new relationship; it’s hard to see all the faults at first. I’m completely seduced by the exterior elements- the Art Deco architecture, the palm trees, the fashion…

These are all things that I have only dreamt about or have had to make up on canvas while “snowed in” during a Nor’easter. So considering the environment alone, I probably could not have asked for a more lucrative place for inspiration. I have also experienced a great deal of kindness and support from others.

There is a general sense of optimism and momentum happening here, and it’s a feeling that is new to me. Of course, I have been forewarned about the “fake” side of LA, but I’m not too worried about it. I’m from Boston; we tend to have thick skin and a generally strong radar for bullshit.

I’m excited to experience LA for everything that it has to offer- the good and the bad. I feel ready to take on all of it.

Contact Info:

• Phone: 978.766.6501
• Email: amandadunham@mac.com
• Instagram: @voldemorte

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.