ARTIST STATEMENT – AMY CARANI
I began painting precise, geometric abstract artwork with pop culture influenced themes about twenty years ago.
With my work, I wanted to produce clean and precise paintings with a bold visual impact. My work is typically on square canvas in a wide range of sizes. Colorful shapes are formed and outlined with sharply defined black acrylic paint. These shapes often represent the general theme while telling a story.
I developed a painting system that consist of rulers and compass bows to assist in my desired precision. My final step in my painting process is when I paint the black outline edges freehand with a small brush. While I do not, most suspect that I use tape or masks to create the black outlines due to the precise nature of my paintings.
Pop culture – especially music – is a common ground that I share with many. I adapt popular music or popular cultural references by abstracting the themes on to canvas. The solid blocks of color and black lines guide the visual story. When connecting pop culture themes and my geometric painting style, I create an easy accessibility for those that may not be familiar with abstraction in visual art.
Visual art as a whole does not have the mass appeal of popular culture. By creating crisp geometric abstract paintings that connect visual art and pop culture themes, it not only generates an accessibility in abstract art, but creates a positive impact for the local art community, too.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023 – Voices Studios Gallery, “Imagination”, Dubuque, IA
2020 – Trout Museum of Art, “Art is Her”, Appleton, WI
2016 – UW Memorial Union South, Gallery 1308, “Volume One”, Madison, WI
2015 – Portage Center for the Arts, Drury Gallery, “Composition”, Portage, WI
2013 – UW Memorial Union, Class of 1925 Gallery, “Motion Studies”, Madison, WI
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023 – SSM Health, WVA SC Chapter Member Exhibition, Monroe, WI
2023 – Wright Museum of Art, “65th Annual Beloit and Vicinity”, Beloit, WI
2023 – Dubuque Museum of Art, DuMA Biennial Exhibition, Dubuque, IA
2023 – Trout Museum of Art, “Made to Order”, Appleton, WI
2023 – Winter Art Fair Off the Square, Holiday Gift and Art Fair, Madison, WI
2022 – Cedarburg Art Museum, “Objects of Desire Exhibition”, Cedarburg, WI
2022 – UW Hospital and Clinics, WVA SC Chapter Annual Member Exhibition, Madison, WI
2022 – Wright Museum of Art, “64th Annual Beloit and Vicinity”, Beloit, WI
2022 – Trout Museum of Art, “TMA Contemporary”, Appleton, WI
2022 – Freeport Art Museum, “18th Regional Juried Exhibition”, Freeport, IL
2022 – Rountree Gallery, “The Drift”, Platteville, WI
2022 – Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts, “Art Spectacular”, Fond du Lac, WI
2022 – UW Hospital and Clinics, WAAC Group Member Exhibition, Madison, WI
2022 – McPherson Eye Institute Vision Art Gallery, “The Eye as Image”, Madison, WI
2021 – Trout Museum of Art, 41st Annual SECURA Fine Arts Exhibit, Appleton, WI
2020 – Trout Museum of Art, “Made to Order”, Appleton, WI
2020 – Trout Museum of Art, 40th Annual SECURA Fine Arts Exhibit, Appleton, WI
2019 – Artless Bastard Art Gallery, “Lyrical Muse”, De Pere, WI
2019 – Dubuque Museum of Art, DuMA Biennial Exhibition, Dubuque, IA
2019 – Wright Museum of Art, Beloit and Vicinity Exhibition, Beloit, WI
2019 – Trout Museum of Art, 39th Annual SECURA Fine Arts Exhibit, Appleton, WI
2019 – Old Courthouse Arts Center, 32nd Women’s Works Exhibit, Woodstock, IL
2019 – UW Hospital and Clinics, WAAC Group Member Exhibition, Madison, WI
2018 – Rockford Art Museum, Midwest Biennial Exhibition, Rockford, IL
2018 – Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Holiday Art Fair, Madison, WI
2018 – Winter Art Fair Off the Square, Holiday Gift and Art Fair, Madison, WI
2017 – Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Holiday Art Fair, Madison, WI
2017 – Winter Art Fair Off the Square, Holiday Gift and Art Fair, Madison, WI
2016 – UW Hospital and Clinics, WAAC Group Member Exhibition, Madison, WI
2016 – Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Holiday Art Fair, Madison, WI
2015 – Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Holiday Art Fair, Madison, WI
2015 – Winter Art Fair Off the Square, Holiday Gift and Art Fair, Madison, WI
2014 – Overture Center for the Arts, “Expression in Color and Design”, Madison, WI
2014 – Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Holiday Art Fair, Madison, WI
2013 – Overture Center for the Arts, RCC 40th Anniversary Show, Madison, WI
2013 – Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Holiday Art Fair, Madison, WI
2012 – Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Holiday Art Fair, Madison, WI
EDUCATION
Northern Illinois University, BFA in Illustration, May 2001
- Curated the Permanent Art Collection
- Managed the Holmes Student Center Art Gallery
AWARDS
Best in Show, Artless Bastard Art Gallery, August 2019
Community Shares Backyard Hero Award
- Nominated by the Dane County Rape Crisis Center, April 2012
MEMBERSHIPS
Wisconsin Alliance of Artists and Craftspeople, Inc. (WAAC), 2015 – Present
Wisconsin Visual Artists – South Central Chapter, 2021 – Present
CHARITY/VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
Hero Initiative – Fundraiser for Comic Book Artists, 2006 – 2019, 2023
Overture Center for the Arts, “Frostiball” Gala Fundraiser Madison, WI
- “Wonderland” painting raised $2,000, January 2016
Dane County Rape Crisis Center – Donated Graphic Design Services, 2010 – 2015
OTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
AMY & AMY DESIGNS – Owner, Fine Art Artist, 2010 – Present
VIDA San Francisco, CA – Wearable Art Clothing Designer, January 2016 – 2017
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All content (images and text) on website are Copyright Amy Carani 2000-2023
Amy Carani 