IN CONVERSATION WITH AMY KOENIG

Today we speak to visual artist, Amy Koenig, who uses her work as a means of exploring personal themes on the human existence and the mystery that surrounds our very existence.

I am a photo-based artist from South Florida, currently living in Bristol, England. My most recent body of work titled “Aphelion”, explores the human experience in relation to the vastness of the universe, and how our beliefs are often shaped by that. I’ve always been fascinated by the fact that we are on a rock floating through space, just a speck in the void, and somehow everyone is just cool with it? My work isn’t about finding all the answers, but more so about finding peace with the uncertainty of it all.

Tell us about your greatest inspirations or influences please.

I take a large part of my inspiration from cinema, most notably horror films.

I am really drawn to the slow moments of suspense, or the quiet points when tension builds before a good jump scare. I am a sucker for a classic slasher — Halloween, Friday the 13th, and even Scream are amongst some of my favorites. On the flip side, I am also really into the newer, more conceptual horror films like Midsommar, The Lighthouse, and The Witch. I just love it all. I’m also a big fan of David Lynch, and really appreciate the way he’s able to make his audience feel the right amount of unsettled. Conveying those feelings and emotions that I have when watching these films is something I’m always trying to emulate in my work.

Other than that, a lot of my work is directly inspired by my own life experiences and beliefs. “Aphelion” deals with the feelings that arise when being faced with the unknown, and all the questions that come along with it. Thinking about our insignificance in relation to space and time is both terrifying and comforting, and a big part of my reason for making that particular body of work.

How are the current trends in technology and innovation affecting your work as a creative?

I think this is a great question, especially with all the recent talk going around about Artificial Intelligence. I admittedly haven’t spent a lot of time looking into everything happening with AI myself, but I am aware of how controversial it has become for so many artists out there. I think initially it had and still does have its benefits as a helpful tool in being able to aid artists, but I’ve been hearing more and more about people having their work copied and stolen, which is definitely concerning.

In regards to other things like social media, I often have a bit of a love/hate relationship with it. I think being present online is really important for creatives, but there is a point where it can become more about creating “content” for likes instead of creating art. I used to let things such as views and likes bother me, but I’ve found it has been so freeing to not let myself get caught up in it, and to just post things I enjoy. If people connect with it, then that’s an added bonus. That being said, social media definitely has it’s perks. I’ve found so many great opportunities and connected with so many amazing artists that I would’ve never known about otherwise.

Tell us about your creative process Amy.

I am very much the kind of person that has to strike while the iron is hot, so to speak. Sometimes I’ll go through long periods of time where I’m not particularly feeling inspired, and then all of a sudden I’ll get the urge to make images on a random Tuesday at 11:00pm, so most of the time I just make images as the ideas come.

With my most recent project, I shot those images over the course of about a year and a half. Some of the images were taken on a whim, and some were carefully and meticulously planned out. One thing that has stayed true in the years that I’ve been photographing, is that most of my photos are very much staged and constructed. Having control over everything in the shot is very much my comfort zone. I’ve also started experimenting with video art more recently which has been a lot of fun, and is something I’m really excited to do more of in the future.

It’s honestly so hard for me to decide when work is ready to share with the world. Sometimes I feel like I tend to share things a little too soon when I’m excited about it, and other times they never see the light of day, but I think one day I’ll get it right.

What do you think of the art world?

The art world is such a complex thing to me. Although I’ve been making art for a while now and have been in a fair amount of exhibitions, it still feels like I’ve just barely scratched the surface. It’s very much something I want to be more a part of, but it’s hard not to feel a little bit intimidated by it. I believe the art world is very much in a constant state of change, and it also vastly differs depending on which part of the globe you’re on. I’m curious to see what is happening in art in one year, five years, and even ten years from now.

Anything coming up that we should know about?

I am just finishing up my Masters course at UWE, and have a couple of graduate shows coming up in the next couple of months with my classmates. One of them will be the student showcase at Arnolfini in Bristol this June, which I’m very much looking forward to.

I’m also in the process of putting together my first solo show with the lovely people at The Mount Without here in Bristol, which will be set to open in late April. Couldn’t be more excited. More details on that to come!

What does wellbeing mean to you?

For me, wellbeing is so important, both emotionally and physically. I find that when things get to be a bit too much, it’s helpful to take a step back and try to separate yourself from whatever is causing the stress if you can. I know for me, when I’m particularly feeling burnt out on a project, not looking at it or thinking about it for an extended period of time allows me to revisit it with fresh eyes once I’m ready. Things like cooking a good meal, watching a movie, and spending quality time with loved ones are all things I really enjoy doing as a way to decompress.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

To everyone — the world needs your art! Keep creating!

Website: www.amykoenigart.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/amykoenigart

Courtesy of the artist

Courtesy of the artist