New Art - Conceptual Realism - Amy Sol

Amy Sol is an American painter born in 1981 in South Korea. Her father, a military man in the U.S. Air Force, traveled frequently between there and Las Vegas where Ms. Sol grew up. Her parents state that Amy Sol was drawing before she began to write. She has related that she remembers drawing scenes, animals, and people.

She has no formal art education, but that hardly matters. By her telling, she has spent the time one might have spent studying, perfecting her technique, palette, and medium. Sol states that she begins a painting on wooden panel with a wash, multiple layers of acrylic and glaze, finishing with a glaze to seal the work.

There is very little written or published on her beginnings. Almost all of what is known about Sol is from her blog about herself or interviews. Apparently, she's very humble. What she does expound upon are her influences and, vaguely, her techniques.

She claims as inspiration a combination of manga, Korean folk-art, vintage illustration and modern design. She sites as influences Range Murata and Kay Nielsen, both well known illustrators in their own right and times. Murata is a Japanese illustrator famous, in Japan, for combining Japanese Anime and Art Deco. Nielsen was popular in the early twentieth century in "the golden age of illustration."

Sol prefers to use acrylics over oils, but she has spent many years developing her particular palette of colors. This can be readily seen in her work. She also prefers to paint on wooden panel rather than canvas. She states that she uses the grain of the wood to guide her work.

On her Medium

"...wood really helps me a lot, and I've sort of become addicted to using wood panel. It's become a really important part... [as it] ...it holds the whole piece together. The grain of the wood usually is the start of the motion; the flow. The wood always reminds me to keep things moving..."

"I think I prefer the wood panel because I've developed a psychological attachment to it. In my case, working with wood is an experience of it's own because of the complications involved. Most of the time, the work is developed and changed by the pattern, flow, and color of the grain and it's a concentrated and delicate process. I feel that wood is a precious thing and it can't be wasted."

Inspiration

"I am very familiar with the desert, the quietness offers an open canvas to my imagination. Walking through a silent desert at night, under a full ceiling of stars is extremely transporting - and also my favorite pastime. My interpretation of the city itself isn't flattering... all I can say is it's a great place for a hermit like me."

Though Ms. Sol is quite new on the "Conceptual Realism" scene she states that she has many inspirations and subjects she has yet to paint.  We are all quite likely to see many more works from this talented young artist.

Amy Sol will be showing her latest "one woman" series called Bonfire at the Corey Helford gallery in Culver City this March. The exact date and time are forthcoming.

Corey Helford Gallery
8522 Washington Boulevard
Culver City, California