artist statement

amanda leake

As an artist i dabble in many mediums, but for the most part i work with papers, fibers, and the occasional clay and sculpture materials. To encourage and promote freedom with materials i collect and acquire “stuff” on a constant basis. i recycle and reuse old art, old clothing, old books, purchased used belongings, and items that have been thrown in the trash, as well as purchase new materials.

Looking over all my past art, along with objects i am creating at the moment, i see that pattern, repetition, and color are the unifying factors and underlying characteristics apparent in my work. i believe that my desire to create these characteristics in my work comes from my childhood. i grew up watching my mother run a family greenhouse business, and as children my sister and i worked and played in those 20 greenhouses and 30 acres of land. As you walk through a greenhouse full of fresh new plants, all you see is pattern, repetition, and color. Nature in all its beauty, along with all the grids, lines and processes of a working greenhouse range has given me a lifetime of inspiration. i mean and strive to create a beautiful well crafted object, and sometimes but not always a functional object to wear, to write in, or to eat with.

Art for me is not a hobby, it is a way of life, an integral part of my everyday existence, and it's how i perceive the world around me. Art was never a question for me, it has always been a part of my life. i suppose being born into a family of artists influenced me as well.

Currently i am deep in world of bookbinding and book as art. i find an incredible amout of pleasure in the processes of making a book, and am able to do a good deal of experimenting in material and form. i believe a book can serve as a functional object as well as an art object. i believe that a book can be made out of unlimited types of materials; and i encourage people to expand their idea of what a “book” can be. i know that i am only at the beginning of my life as a book artist.