Amanda Doran

Favourite woman artist and why/how has she/her art or life inspired you? 

I am inspired by so many female painters I could never pick one. Chantal Joffe, Dana Schutz, Stella Vine, Alice Neel, Allison Schulnik and Rose Wylie were particularly a big influence on me starting out as an artist. I discovered my passion for figurative painting very early on and they paved the path for me from the very beginning. I learned about “ballsy” painting from them I guess, there’s a very academic playfulness to their work at times. They definitely lit the flame within me. 

When did you first discover art? and when did you realise that you wanted to pursue it professionally?

 I grew up around art. My uncle is a painter and he was a teenager when I was born so I got to grow up around him as he began pursuing his studies and career. He always shared his process with me and I would spend a lot of time just sitting and watching him paint. He’s an abstract painter and he would often ask me "what do you see in that" or "what would you call this painting?" I’m an only child so by nature you live in your imagination for your entertainment, this is where my creativity flourished from quite early on. Growing up I was always creative; I loved performing, writing and crafting. It was the only time I felt comfortable and felt I could express myself so I always knew that that was what I wanted my life to be like. I pursued art after school because I felt it was the only thing I was really good at so to me anything else wasn’t even an option! 

Can you tell me a bit about you/your background? (eg where are you from/based? What has your educational path been like or are you self-taught?)

I am from a small town in Co. Wexford, I hated it growing up so moved away as soon as I could! I moved back home about 3 years ago and I absolutely love it! It’s the perfect place, it has changed a lot over the years and it’s a wonderful hub of interesting people and things to do. 

I left school at 16 without doing my leaving cert because it just wasn’t for me. I was bullied at school and found it really hard to connect with others growing up. I did a PLC that following year, still at only 16 years old and it was incredible. It felt like the first time I was living my life! Like the first time I felt I had a purpose. I knew I was too young to pursue college then so took a few years out, I worked and went back to study at 21. I graduated from NCAD with a first class honours in 2012, like a phoenix rising from the ashes! 

What themes or ideas do you explore in your work? 

My work is currently exploring contemporary ideologies of a modern day woman, from a female’s perspective. What does being a woman mean as it is being redefined by generation Y, social media, self-care advocates and well-being activists…. 

The aesthetics of what beauty is, more importantly what a beautiful woman is is changing rapidly. With countless social media accounts advocating body imperfections, championing our vulvas, breasts, bottoms, stretch marks, flab, belly rolls, body hair, emotional vulnerabilities, self-image struggles, self-worth battles and celebrating our sexual liberty, sexual proclivities and sexual self-exploration, being a woman in 2018 has been a very fascinating thing.  

In this work I wanted to rediscover this new type of woman, examining new approaches to self-image, redefining how not only we see one another as women but more importantly how we see ourselves. How do we relate? What do we relate to? I have looked back extensively to a lot of pagan ideologies and primitive tribal attitudes towards women within community/ tribal groups. I have taken a lot of the symbols, patterns and representations from various ancient cultures into my work almost as a way of paying my respects to my own ancestral female counterparts. 

This work is almost like re-writing well told stories, for modern day children to adopt a much healthier understanding of the importance of the woman in contemporary society and how to embrace a stronger relationship with ourselves as women. In a way I am re-imagining the old outdated perspectives of the ideal woman which comes from the male standards and now rebuilding the image of what the ideal woman is from a females standard. 

I have created a Utopia for women within these new works and here the female figures can explore and celebrate their sexual power, primitive urges, their strengths, weaknesses and their individual sources of power. 

What is your process like? (Do you do a lot of research? Do you favour an intuitive approach? Do you do a lot of preparatory studies? Do you use photography/digital media? Do you concentrate on just one piece or do you work on several at the same time? How long do you spend working on each piece?)

 I intially start out by researching, usually from books and documentaries. I read a lot of books about mythology and folklore so that’s where my inspiration comes from lately. I like to take some notes but usually I read and study a lot of the imagery from artworks and artifacts from ancient cultures and I suppose when I feel some ideas brewing it’s an amalgamation of whatever I have been taking in over the past while. Sometimes when I get some ideas it will feed the rest of my research and I will steer myself in certain directions, searching out for particular subject matter. But I always reach a point when I subconsciously know I’ve taken in enough and now it’s time for the ideas to flow. I love my notebook so I’m always jotting down ideas, titles or little musings. Sometimes I will make some smaller works, maybe works on paper to get a feel for what direction the work is going in and then I might play around with some smaller canvases. In the early stages I quite like to collage; magazines, fabrics, sequins, jewels etc. 

With paintings, I like to work on 2 or 3 at time but if I’m really enjoying working on a certain painting I will stick with it until I feel it’s finished or it needs some breathing space for a while. I could make a painting in a day or I could be working on it for months. It depends how each one is going, it depends on my mood while I'm working on it or it depends how clearly I've visualised the work before I began to make it. 

What have been your influences? (Anything in history? A particular work of art? Other artists? Landscape? Movies? Family/friends?  Literature?)

 I'm half Italian and have spent a lot of time there when I was younger, I always admired the beautiful churches and magnificent statues and paintings. I have always been fascinated with mythology, folklore, ancient cultures, tribes and ancient traditions and religions. I adore the ideas of these wonderful fantastical creatures and women with otherworldly beauty and immense power.

In contrast to this I am also greatly influenced by the outcasts and weirdos of contemporary culture. I have always been an avid observer of subcultures and truly live by the quote from the infamous Dr. Seuss "why fit in when you were born to stand out?!" 

Could you name a book you would recommend to every artist? (Not necessarily art-related) And why?

I think it’s very beneficial to read about the artists that you admire. Whoever they are, if they inspire you or set a little spark off within you, study these people, admire them, soak it all up. I am currently reading Grayson Perry's 'Portrait of the Artist as a Young Girl.' 

Do you have any advice for other artists? Particularly students/emerging? 

My advice would be to try everything. Every idea, get it down on paper even if you don’t follow through on it, if it excites you or thrills you write it down, draw it out, get it out there and that will entice more and more great ideas. Never be afraid of your ideas or think they're stupid and the bottom line is if it’s fun keep doing it!

It’s normal to fall in and out of love with your work, go with it, it’s a rollercoaster ride, so put your hands up and scream as loud as you can!! Woohoooooo!!! 

Instagram: amanda.doran.artist 

Facebook: Amanda Doran Artist 

Twitter: @amandadoranart

Special thanks to Amanda for her contribution to the blog as her interview was due up in September. And to all the other contributors who have been so patient and understanding during such a difficult time.