From the Artist - Amanda Beardsley:
“Across The Universe,” depicts an elegant girl observing the Cosmos with her cats. The style of this artist room in Albuquerque is unique in that it contains cultural motifs with pop culture imagery, graffiti media, anime designs, and my original conceptual ideas. I incorporate these subjects into the room because I feel that I can manipulate my emotions into my painting and make it enjoyable for everyone. I find pop culture imagery to be interesting when applied to my paintings because the objects are extremely cute and unexpected. I choose to work with different types of media because there is a sense of freedom that exists. The mediums used for this painting are acrylic paints, house paint, aerosol spray paints, Japanese silk screen paper, paint markers, and hand painted linen. The room, “Across The Universe,” exemplifies traditional subjects with Kawaii art (Japanese meaning for cute) to suggest that traditional knowledge continues into the present. The images are juxtaposed by placing traditional art with modern art that appeals to my sense of continuity and past values that blend into our present day activities. This work of art expresses the great principle of knowledge and elements of life contained within the Native peoples’ knowledge of how to live according to natural law. This work of art is important to me as a historical record of the traditional wisdom of Indigenous cultures that will forever be relevant as a guide to how we live our lives. As Native people, we hold these values dear to our hearts.
About Amanda Beardsley:
My mother Christine gave birth to me at the University of New Mexico Hospital, where my father, maternal grandparents, aunt, uncle, cousin and two older brothers greeted me. My mother is Choctaw, Chickasaw, Laguna Pueblo, Seneca, and Mescalero Apache. My Father is Hopi. Being many different tribes is a result of BIA boarding schools. A few years of my life was spent living with my parents and two older brothers in Merced, Calif., Austin, Texas, and Madisonville, La. I’m a recognized member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. I am fortunate to have a home in Laguna Pueblo and one in Albuquerque, so my lifestyle is both traditional and modern, just like my artwork. In the fall of 2011, I became a student at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where I’ve been inspired to develop my own unique artistic style. I chose Studio Arts as my major in order to fulfill my goals in the art of making jewelry, painting, printmaking, and digital fabrication. IAIA enlarged my understanding of the history of contemporary Native art and Native American history, as well as non-Native art practices. Since graduating from IAIA in the spring of 2016, I’ve continued my education, travels, making art, selling art, and supporting my livelihood as an artist.