We had the good fortune of connecting with Amy Day and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amy, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I am a performance artist and painter, interested in diverse intellectual pursuits. In my performances, I use painting, drawing, video, sound, music, rituals, actions, theatrics, satire, sincerity, and language. I create layered spaces that confuse and delight the audience with things that are familiar and childlike, while I encourage them to look closer. I believe you can speak to the deepest longings of the soul by creating a safe, funny, colorful place and let the audience join you. When they are petting baby bunnies, or watching me bob for apples, or observing me draw a video of a tree on fire, or seeing a video of me birthing a stillborn stuffed animal tiger, the audience can take these images in and sit with them, reflect on them, and have empathy and compassion. I believe that good art gives the viewer space to observe the idea or truth or paradox that the artist has selected and contemplate it in a new and challenging way. My strategies are humor, satire, play, spectacle, and the interaction of the real body and person. I want my audience to reconsider something they think they know during an experience that I know that they have never had before.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Art is an authentic communication of abstract thought processes. In thinking visually you aren’t constrained by language in how you represent your thoughts. You are free to explore topics of interest with the diversity of expression common to dreams. The meaning is divergent and multifaceted so it leaves room for change and growth as a person. I think this reflects a beautiful way to live life allowing viewpoints to unfold as you experience it. As an artist, I’m most interested in truthfulness in this communication and the ability of Art to show not only the viewer but myself a new way to see the world. It hasn’t been easy recently as a person on Disability to continue outside of academia to find outlets for discourse but there are more venues that are becoming receptive to non normative experience and I’m looking forward to participating in efforts to raise awareness of difference in viewpoints.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Thena Beam
Mark Jeffery
Pete Burkeet
Amy Fox
Becky Roe

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dayamy?igsh=eWJtc2Z3OGowZDFz

Youtube: https://youtu.be/NKxl7F2T65c?feature=shared

Other: https://vimeo.com/110090309

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