Exhibit of Works by Richard Amos, Artist
O'Shaughnessy Educational Center Lobby Gallery
Reception with Richard Amos
Friday, Feb. 5, 2004
3:30 - 5:00 p.m.,
Luann Dummer Center for Women, Room 103
O'Shaughnessy Education Center
Magically realistic and hauntingly just out of reach, the work of Richard Amos reflects his journey of over 13 years of artistic production, and the exploration and acceptance of African American/African spirits which imbue his art with multiple layers of perception, understanding, and sight. Utilizing the mask theme, he chooses colors which themselves inspire spiritually. At the same time, he adopts a rather unusual technique of blue jean material gessoed onto the surface of the canvas, making the paintings simultaneously flat and 3- dimensional. At turns bright and approachable, at others darker and more primordial, these African American/African/Hip Hop-flavored works stop the viewer and ask him or her to react.Also, by special request of the artist, a number of works by another artist, BILL JETER, are being included. Jeter is considered an elder of the community, a professional, working artist, and art teacher and mentor, and Richard Amos generously and wisely wanted to expose the UST community to the works of this gifted artist as well.
"My artistic journey has taken me to new heights as far as my growth with the ability to critique my art. In addition, I adjust my art to reflect my vision in the placement of light, shadows, themes, and colors. By applying this concept I am able to create an illusion for viewers to create their themes, and colors to envision the images/masks as their own. The colors I choose, and mask themes I use are many times mood/spirit inspirer. I use acrylics and blue jeans gessoed to canvas, which creates an optical illusion of a one-dimensional surface, but once the viewer is close enough to see the actual artwork the viewer will notice the three dimensional salient blue jean materials protruding from the canvas. Symbolically, this is art-reflecting life.
Therefore, nothing is truly as we perceive it to be, it all depends on many levels of perceptions, understanding, and sight. Far away the canvas appears flat (one dimensional), and does not represent what's behind each mask, but once the viewer is close enough to experience or touch the salient (three dimensional) mask of my art their misperception disappears.
Over time my artistic designs have grown to reflect the 13 years I have spent doing art and the African American/African spirits that journey through me onto my canvases to document my artistic talents. The ancestral voices haunt my spirit to remember the artistic primordial rituals of (Masks). Instead of modern rituals that leave us separate, but equal, wanting, and uneasy.
The journey I have made without internalizing spiritual hate of why for long. As a result I lose track of time/ space as I do art. I feel like a man frozen in a time zone where I feel knowledge, art, and spirit coming together to produce my African American/African/Hip Hop flavored creations. I thank the St. Thomas Community, for asking me to share my art with them."- Richard Amos
