Taking Pride: A Conversation with RBC Emerging Visual Artist Amy Webber
We’re stepping foot into June and one of the most vibrant months of the year: International Pride Month! It is—among many other things—a celebration of what it means to be a part of a community that embraces the courageous, the colourful, and the collective journeys of LGBTQ+ individuals.
To kick off Pride Month, we talked to Arts Commons RBC Emerging Visual Artist Amy Webber about her experience as a bisexual woman and how she believes inclusion can be nurtured in today’s climate.
How do you define your art?
I am an oil painter, and I would describe my style as contemporary figurative realism. As an emerging artist, my process is ever-evolving, but my favourite way to work is to start with chaos and create order—that is, to begin with bold, gestural, often messy strokes in vague shapes, and gradually add more definition and detail to turn it into a cohesive, realistic image. I am always dancing on that line of how much detail to add—I want my paintings to feel lively, with softness and movement, and adding too much detail can kill that. However, convincingly painting something with looser strokes can be tricky, so it’s a learning process.
What inspires and/or influences your work?
I would say most of my work is driven by a desire to express feelings that cannot be said in words, and I am inspired by the human figure and face and their capacity to be so expressive. Often, I’ll hear a song that evokes some feeling and I’ll come up with imagery for it in my head, or some place or scent or anything will spark some emotion or nostalgia and I’ll try to find a way to capture it. I am also inspired by light and shadow, as well as nature, especially the ocean, and am coming up with ways to create figurative imagery involving nature and water.
Have you found your artistic practice has changed since the onset of the pandemic?
Yes, during the pandemic I switched from painting mainly landscapes and seascapes to focusing on painting figures. I had been meaning to make this transition for a while but found myself sort of stuck in a cycle of fear of taking the leap into new subject matter. I knew there would be a huge learning curve, and with the crazy fast pace of life in the “before times,” I was scared of falling behind if I were to start teaching myself how paint an entirely new subject.
During the first wave of the pandemic, in isolation, it felt like the perfect time to finally explore this new direction. With no social calendar and art supply stores being closed, I suddenly had way more time than usual, and far fewer distractions. I’m so glad that I used that time to start learning figure painting.
How has your experience as part of the LGBTQ+ community impacted your artistic practice and the way you create?
I have been starting to explore ways to represent the LGBTQ+ community in my work, especially my own experiences as a bisexual woman in a same-sex relationship. Most of my paintings do depict either myself or my fiancée Sarah as the figure model, but I have only done one painting so far that actually shows us as together as a couple.
Growing up I can’t say I remember seeing two women together very often in media or artwork, and although there is a bit more representation these days in popular culture, I still don’t see much of it in artwork, at least not in the mainstream. One thing I am cognizant of is the constant over-sexualization and objectification of female same-sex couples, so I’m trying to think of ways to show intimacy and love in my paintings while avoiding sexual connotations. It’s frustrating because I think if I were depicting a heterosexual couple, I wouldn’t be so self-conscious about that.
What role do you feel artists and the arts play in the LGBTQ+ community, and how can they help foster inclusivity on a broader scale?
I would say art as a form of expression is incredibly important for the LGBTQ+ community. Art really has no limits and can be incredibly healing, so it’s the perfect way to express ourselves and our unique challenges as well as all the beautiful things that come along with being an LGBTQ+ individual. It’s powerful because others in the community can then perhaps see themselves represented or have the opportunity to emotionally connect with a piece. I think a lot of us who are LGBTQ+ have gone through times where we’ve felt like we don’t fit in or belong or are questioning things and feel afraid. It’s incredible how much difference a single piece of artwork can make—be it a song, poem, painting, short film, or anything—to just make you feel less alone; like someone out there gets it.
As for fostering inclusivity on a broader scale, I think representation is so important and impactful, and is a huge part of what leads to greater acceptance. So, in that respect, simply putting LGBTQ+ art into the world can foster inclusivity. People are so often afraid of what they don’t know, so let us make people more familiar with all the beautiful diversity of the LGBTQ+ community.
At the end of the day, we’re all just people, so I think for an LGBTQ+ artist to create something that others can connect to or understand, whether they are LGBTQ+ or not, it serves as a reminder that as humans we have so much that makes us similar, and to be empathetic to all.
Amy’s pieces currently exhibiting in the Window Galleries at Arts Commons were painted in isolation at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. They are available for viewing through 3D scans at artscommons.ca/3D. You can also visit amywebberart.com to discover more of her work. The RBC Emerging Visual Artists Program is supported by naming partner RBC Foundation.
