Wearable & Decorative Art by Pembroke Pines Artist Beth K Amato

ARTIST STATEMENT…Art and photography have held lifelong fascination for me. The more I learn, the more I yearn to combine in both concept and technique. Cameras and computers have become artists’ tools just like pencils, inks and watercolors. My background as an animator influences my non-animated art as well. As an animator, I give life to objects. As an artist, I analyze life. I call this technique deconstructed animation. The layered approach I use involves seeing beyond the physical, much like a portrait, but also factors in the element of time. The employment of time may be incorporated as a series of images layered or a sequence of individual images captured over a period of time presented as a group. Communicating the idea of time is always an experiment in my work. Any subject is fair game as long as I’m inspired to share its story.

Botanical Portraiture
In order for anything or anyone to be a subject of my work, I have to find a connection. Flowers are unique and constantly in a state of change. I choose to share the character that I discover, in each one at that one moment in time. If that character is not there, I would only be documenting a one dimensional moment in the life of that flower. I play with scale, line, shape, juxtaposition and lighting to tell the story I see in each botanical print that I make with my camera.

Bottling Time
The interaction of things is also interesting to me. My series of oil & water, drops and spinners images focus on capturing that interaction over time. All of the final color and lighting is done while shooting as I strive to keep these images pure. With the exception of artificial lighting, such as flash or LED, I do not use high tech devices to manipulate my images. My final prints are usually on metal as the vibrancy and intensity tend to draw the viewer in and encourage curiosity. These prints are often grouped together in installations. The installation works reflect reconstructed animation.

Contemporary Fusion
For many years, as an animator, I had this hunger to share the passion that I have for making motion happen. Many years ago a professor said something in a lecture that has stayed with me. He said that graphic design is just as important in animation, if not more so, than in any other non-moving artwork because animation is constantly communicating a story. I’ve often spent time looking at individual frames of animations while working on them wishing I could share them with someone. In my contemporary fusion, I’ve utilized this desire by layering individual frames of animation with bits of graphic design, elements of photography, scanned drawings, paintings and digital paintings. To give the viewer the intense color and vibrancy I have my pieces printed on aluminum. It is the best way I have found to translate the intensity of the work that does not require electricity or a computer monitor.

While I use many different mediums, my goals are the same: to create an authentic expression of work and create a connection with the viewer. I challenge myself to make art that is layered in a way that is accessible on many levels in the hopes that it will be appreciated by many.